Eleanor Smith (activist)
| Eleanor Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Eleanor Elizabeth Smith 30 September 1822 |
| Died | 15 September 1896 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Educational activist |
| Notable work |
|
Eleanor Elizabeth Smith (30 September 1822 – 15 September 1896) was an Irish educational activist.
Smith was born in Dublin, in Ireland, the daughter of John and Mary Smith. Her father was a barrister, but he died in 1828, and Mary then moved the family to various locations in England before settling in Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Smith had thirteen siblings, with her younger brother Henry John Stephen Smith becoming a prominent mathematician. Smith developed a strong interest in languages, teaching herself Hebrew when she was only seven years old. She later traveled widely around Europe, indulging her interest in European literature.
In the 1860s, Smith moved to Oxford, where her brother was working, and organised a series of lectures for women by professors affiliated with the University of Oxford. Becoming known as an expert on women's education, she was called as a witness to the 1864 Royal Commission on Schools. As a result of its recommendations, school boards were formed across England and Wales in 1870, and Smith was elected to the Oxford School Board - the only woman elected in Oxford, and one of only seven across England.
Other members of the school board determined that education in the city should remain run by religious organisations, but Smith argued that they should instead set up a non-denominational board school. She was unsuccessful in this, and stood down from the board in 1873, when her brother died.
In 1879, Smith was a founder of Somerville College, the first Oxford college for women. She served on its council, and also became a trustee of Bedford College, London. Also developing an interest in health, she served on the boards of the Radcliffe Infirmary and Sarah Acland Home, and as a director of the city's Provident Dispensary.
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