Mary Lyon was born on February 28, 1797, in Buckland, Massachusetts. Lyon attended school until she was 13, but when her mother remarried and left, she was given the responsibility of running their 100 acre farm and caring for her little brothers.

When Lyon was 17, she started her first teaching job at a local school. She taught at many schools for 20 years, and during that time Lyon used the little money she had to further her education.

In 1834, Lyon decided to start raising funds to found a school that would provide women a higher, education, one that would go beyond “ladylike” curriculum. In 1837, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary admitted its first students.

Lyon is credited with opening the first and oldest women’s college in America. She fulfilled her dream of providing women with a challenging, affordable education.