Millicent Carey McIntosh (November 30, 1898 – January 3, 2001) was an educational administrator and American feminist who led the Brearley School (1930–1947), and most prominently Barnard College (1947–1962). [1] The first married woman to head one of the Seven Sisters, she was "considered a national role model for generations of young women who wanted to combine career and family," advocating for working mothers and for child care as a dignified profession. [2]
McIntosh was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 30, 1898 to Anthony Morris Carey and Margaret Cheston Thomas, both active Quakers. [3] She was also a Quaker. [4] Her mother was a member of Bryn Mawr College's first graduating class (1889). [5] Her aunt, M. Carey Thomas, also a leader in women's education, founded the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore and served as the president of Bryn Mawr College. [2] [3]
McIntosh attended Bryn Mawr College for her undergraduate, majoring in Greek and English and graduating in 1920 magna cum laude. [3] [5] After graduating, she worked for the YWCA as a social worker in Baltimore, and acted as a summer school tutor at Bryn Mawr in 1922, then moved to study abroad upon the suggestion of her aunt. [6] [7] [4] McIntosh studied economics at Cambridge University, and earned an English Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University with a dissertation on 14th century mystery plays. [2] After graduating with her Ph.D. in 1926, McIntosh became an assistant professor of English at Bryn Mawr College. [5] Shortly afterward, she was appointed dean of freshman and then acting dean of the college. In 1930, she was appointed as the headmistress for the Brearley School, a position she held for seventeen years. [8] [7] She converted the school from a half-day format to full-day, and pioneered a sex education class for sixth grade students at Brearley. [1] [3]
In 1932, she married pediatrician Rustin McIntosh, with whom she had five children. [9] [10]
McIntosh became Dean of Barnard College in 1947, and became the institution's first President in 1952. [8] [11] As the president, McIntosh doubled Barnard's endowment and was able to increase faculty salaries by initiating Operation Bootstrap, a campaign that solicited funding from alumnae and donors like John D. Rockefeller. [8] [7] She also helped to centralize the Barnard Fund and begin forming long-term development plans for the school, which allowed for the renovation of Milbank Hall and the construction of the Minor Latham Playhouse, Lehman Hall, and Reid Hall. [8] She also used funds from the school's endowment to create more merit scholarships, opening the college to many underrepresented groups. [3] McIntosh worked closely with Columbia presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Grayson Kirk during her tenure. [8] In 1948, she was awarded the Roosevelt Medal of Honor. [12] She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1966. [13] McIntosh also volunteered as a trustee of the New York Public Library, and was the first woman to sit on the board of CBS. [14] [10]
McIntosh retired in 1962 and was replaced by Rosemary Park. [8] After Barnard, she helped to found Kirkland College in the 1960s, serving as the chair of the founding advisory board. [15]
In 1992, she received the Barnard College Medal of Distinction. [16]
Millicent Carey McIntosh (November 30, 1898 – January 3, 2001) was an educational administrator and American feminist who led the Brearley School (1930–1947), and most prominently Barnard College (1947–1962). [1] The first married woman to head one of the Seven Sisters, she was "considered a national role model for generations of young women who wanted to combine career and family," advocating for working mothers and for child care as a dignified profession. [2]
McIntosh was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 30, 1898 to Anthony Morris Carey and Margaret Cheston Thomas, both active Quakers. [3] She was also a Quaker. [4] Her mother was a member of Bryn Mawr College's first graduating class (1889). [5] Her aunt, M. Carey Thomas, also a leader in women's education, founded the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore and served as the president of Bryn Mawr College. [2] [3]
McIntosh attended Bryn Mawr College for her undergraduate, majoring in Greek and English and graduating in 1920 magna cum laude. [3] [5] After graduating, she worked for the YWCA as a social worker in Baltimore, and acted as a summer school tutor at Bryn Mawr in 1922, then moved to study abroad upon the suggestion of her aunt. [6] [7] [4] McIntosh studied economics at Cambridge University, and earned an English Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University with a dissertation on 14th century mystery plays. [2] After graduating with her Ph.D. in 1926, McIntosh became an assistant professor of English at Bryn Mawr College. [5] Shortly afterward, she was appointed dean of freshman and then acting dean of the college. In 1930, she was appointed as the headmistress for the Brearley School, a position she held for seventeen years. [8] [7] She converted the school from a half-day format to full-day, and pioneered a sex education class for sixth grade students at Brearley. [1] [3]
In 1932, she married pediatrician Rustin McIntosh, with whom she had five children. [9] [10]
McIntosh became Dean of Barnard College in 1947, and became the institution's first President in 1952. [8] [11] As the president, McIntosh doubled Barnard's endowment and was able to increase faculty salaries by initiating Operation Bootstrap, a campaign that solicited funding from alumnae and donors like John D. Rockefeller. [8] [7] She also helped to centralize the Barnard Fund and begin forming long-term development plans for the school, which allowed for the renovation of Milbank Hall and the construction of the Minor Latham Playhouse, Lehman Hall, and Reid Hall. [8] She also used funds from the school's endowment to create more merit scholarships, opening the college to many underrepresented groups. [3] McIntosh worked closely with Columbia presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Grayson Kirk during her tenure. [8] In 1948, she was awarded the Roosevelt Medal of Honor. [12] She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1966. [13] McIntosh also volunteered as a trustee of the New York Public Library, and was the first woman to sit on the board of CBS. [14] [10]
McIntosh retired in 1962 and was replaced by Rosemary Park. [8] After Barnard, she helped to found Kirkland College in the 1960s, serving as the chair of the founding advisory board. [15]
In 1992, she received the Barnard College Medal of Distinction. [16]