Catharine Merrill
Encyclopedia
Catharine Merrill was one of the first female university
professor
s in the United States.
, Indiana
. Her father was Samuel Merrill
, an early leading citizen of the state. She studied literature in Germany
and taught in Cleveland
, Ohio
and Crawfordsville
, Indiana
. In 1867 she was appointed as the Demia Butler Professor of English at North Western Christian University, now known as Butler University
. This was the first endowed chair at an American university designated for a female professor, and it made Merrill only the second female professor in the country (she was preceded by Maria Mitchell
at Vassar College
). She was the first to use the lecture method for a subject other than science.
During the Civil War
she served as a nurse in Kentucky
. After the war she was asked by Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton to write a history of Indiana's solidiers in the war. It was published anonymously as The Soldier of Indiana in the War for the Union (2 vol, 1866, 1869). She also published The Man Shakespeare and Other Essays in 1902.
She met John Muir
when he lived in Indianapolis
in 1866-1867, and helped take care of him when he temporarily lost his vision in an accident. This began a life-long friendship, and Muir wrote a tribute to Catharine after she died entitled Words from an Old Friend.
Catharine retired in 1883 and died in 1900.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s in the United States.
Biography
Catharine was born in 1824 in CorydonCorydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Her father was Samuel Merrill
Samuel Merrill (Indiana)
Samuel Merrill was an early leading citizen of the U.S. state of Indiana.-Biography:Samuel was born in 1792 in Peacham, Vermont, the second son of Jesse and Priscilla Merrill. He attended Dartmouth College for one year before moving to Pennsylvania to study law with his older brother James. In...
, an early leading citizen of the state. She studied literature in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and taught in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Crawfordsville
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In 1867 she was appointed as the Demia Butler Professor of English at North Western Christian University, now known as Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
. This was the first endowed chair at an American university designated for a female professor, and it made Merrill only the second female professor in the country (she was preceded by Maria Mitchell
Maria Mitchell
Maria Mitchell was an American astronomer, who in 1847, by using a telescope, discovered a comet which as a result became known as the "Miss Mitchell's Comet". She won a gold medal prize for her discovery which was presented to her by King Frederick VII of Denmark. The medal said “Not in vain do...
at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
). She was the first to use the lecture method for a subject other than science.
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
she served as a nurse in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. After the war she was asked by Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton to write a history of Indiana's solidiers in the war. It was published anonymously as The Soldier of Indiana in the War for the Union (2 vol, 1866, 1869). She also published The Man Shakespeare and Other Essays in 1902.
She met John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
when he lived in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in 1866-1867, and helped take care of him when he temporarily lost his vision in an accident. This began a life-long friendship, and Muir wrote a tribute to Catharine after she died entitled Words from an Old Friend.
Catharine retired in 1883 and died in 1900.