Pauline (Agassiz) Shaw (1841-1917)

Mrs Pauline (Agassiz) Shaw

She was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and from the age of nine grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Greatly influenced by her stepmother, she became an important social reformer who opened day nurseries, settlement houses, and other establishments in Boston for the benefit of immigrants and the poor. She financed public kindergartens and co-founded America's first trade school, the North Bennet Street School. She was also a vocal advocate for women's rights.
Contributed by Mark Meredith on 14/04/2019 and last updated on 05/02/2023.