Biographies

Abigail Adams (1744-1818) Abigail Adams led a life of public service and devotion to family. She was an invaluable partner to America's second president (so much so that she was called "Mrs. President"), and the educator of America's sixth president. She maintained a voluminous correspondence … [Read more...] about Abigail Adams

Elma Lewis (1921-2004) Elma Lewis (1921-2004), who is frequently described as a cultural icon in Boston, founded the National Center for Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) in 1968 eighteen years after opening the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts (ELSFA) in Roxbury. As NCAAA explains, the new center … [Read more...] about Elma Lewis

Fanny Goldstein (circa 1895-1961) Fanny Goldstein was the first Jewish woman to run a branch of the Boston Public Library. She made it her goal to collect, organize, and disseminate the wealth of Jewish literature, while at the same time recognizing the value of literature belonging to the … [Read more...] about Fanny Goldstein

Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) Isabella Stewart Gardner was a young married woman when she lived at 152 Beacon Street, an elegant townhouse-style mansion built in Boston’s newest and most fashionable neighborhood, the Back Bay. The house was a gift from her father on the occasion of her … [Read more...] about Isabella Stewart Gardner

Jennie Loitman Barron (1891-1969) The first woman to serve as full-time judge in the Massachusetts municipal court, Jennie Barron also later became the first woman associate justice appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court. Jennie Loitman was one of four daughters born to Russian Jewish … [Read more...] about Jennie Loitman Barron

Lina Frank Hecht (1848-1921) As one of Boston’s leading women philanthropists of the day, Lina Hecht founded some of the earliest settlement houses in the city to serve the growing Eastern European Jewish community. She also acted as a catalyst, bringing together people within the warmth of her … [Read more...] about Lina Frank Hecht