Henry Fowle Durant

Henry Fowle Durant (born Henry Wells Smith; February 20, 1822 – October 3, 1881) was an American lawyer and philanthropist, as well as the co-founder, with his wife, Pauline Durant, of Wellesley Female Seminary, which became Wellesley College.

Henry Fowle Durant

Early life and career

Durant was born in Hanover, New Hampshire[1] as Henry Wells Smith on February 20, 1822. He changed his name to Henry Fowle Durant on November 25, 1851, to avoid confusion with a local businessman.[2][3]

He completed his studies in Harvard Law School at Harvard University in 1841. He was admitted to the Middlesex bar in 1843, and worked with his father in business until 1847. He subsequently practiced in Boston.[2]

Personal life

Durant married his cousin, Pauline Adeline Durant (née Fowle), in 1855. The couple went on to have two children, Henry "Harry" Fowle Durant and Pauline Cazenove Durant. Both children died in early childhood.[4]

After the death of his son, Harry, Durant underwent a religious conversion and became a lay preacher in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, practicing from 1864 to 1875.[2]

Henry Durant died from Bright's Disease at his home in Wellesley, Massachusetts on October 3, 1881, at the age of 59.[2][5] He was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.[6]

Legacy

In 1870, Henry and Pauline Durant contributed between one and two million dollars to found Wellesley Female Seminary in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Durant, a staunch believer in female education, famously said, "Women can do the work. I give them the chance."[7]

References
  1. "Hanover Historical Society". Town of Hanover New Hampshire. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  2. Davis, William T., ed. (1894). Professional and Industrial History of Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Vol. I. The Boston History Company. pp. 498–499. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  3. Crawford, Mary Caroline (1930). Famous Families of Massachusetts. Little, Brown & Company. pp. 118, 120. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Google Books.
  4. Crawford, Mary Caroline (1930). Famous Families of Massachusetts. Little, Brown & Company.
  5. Kingsley, Florence Morse (2004). The Life of Henry Fowle Durant Founder of Wellesley College. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 0766199533.
  6. "Funeral of Henry F. Durant". The Boston Globe. October 7, 1881. p. 4. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "A Brief History of Wellesley College". Wellesley College. 2007. Retrieved November 24, 2012.


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