Phoebe Apperson Hearst
| Phoebe Hearst | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Phoebe Elizabeth Apperson December 3, 1842 Franklin County, Missouri, USA |
| Died | April 13, 1919 (aged 76) Pleasanton, California, USA |
| Cause of death | Spanish flu |
| Resting place | Cypress Lawn Memorial Park |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | George Hearst (1862–1891) |
| Children | William Randolph Hearst |
Phoebe Elizabeth Apperson Hearst (December 3, 1842 – April 13, 1919) was an American philanthropist, feminist and suffragist. She was the mother of William Randolph Hearst and wife of George Hearst.
She was born Phoebe Elizabeth Apperson in St. Clair, Missouri, in Franklin County, the daughter of Drucilla (Whitmire) and Randolph Walker Apperson. In her early years, Phoebe attended school, intending to become a teacher. Her childhood also consisted of helping her father with finances at the family store, learning French, and how to play the piano.George Hearst returned to St. Clair in 1860 to care for his dying mother, and ran into Phoebe, a childhood friend. On June 15, 1862, when she was 19, Phoebe married George in the hopes of leaving her mundane home.
Soon after their marriage, the couple left Missouri and moved to San Francisco, California, George's home, where Phoebe gave birth to their only child, William Randolph Hearst. George was a successful miner and had struck it rich. In their busy life, George often left Phoebe alone during his work. George later became a U.S. Senator. Phoebe and her son William shared a close relationship throughout their time together, sharing many similar interests, one being art and design. After Phoebe's death in 1919, William inherited a $10 million fortune, which Phoebe had passed down after George's death in 1891.
In the 1880s, she became a major benefactor and director of the Golden Gate Kindergarten Association and the first president of the Century Club of California. In 1902, Phoebe Hearst funded the construction of a building to provide teacher training and kindergarten classes, and to house the Golden Gate Kindergarten Association’s offices. The Golden Gate Kindergarten Association had 26 schools at the time of the San Francisco earthquake in 1906.
Phoebe Hearst was a major benefactor of the University of California, Berkeley and its first woman Regent, serving on the board from 1897 until her death. Also in 1897, she contributed to the establishment of the National Congress of Mothers, which evolved eventually into the National Parent-Teacher Association. In 1900, she co-founded the all-girls National Cathedral School in Washington, DC. A public elementary school near the National Cathedral School bears her name.
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