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Mary Lyon | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Mary Lyon, 1832 | |
| 1st President of Mount Holyoke College (Founder and Principal) | |
| In office 1837–1849 | |
| Succeeded by | Mary C. Whitman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 28, 1797 near Buckland, Massachusetts |
| Died | March 5, 1849 (aged 52) South Hadley, Massachusetts |
| Resting place | Mount Holyoke College |
Mary Mason Lyon (/ˈlaɪ.ən/; February 28, 1797 – March 5, 1849) was an American pioneer in women's education. She established the Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts, (now Wheaton College) in 1834. She then established Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (now Mount Holyoke College) in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1837 and served as its first president (or "principal") for 12 years. Lyon's vision fused intellectual challenge and moral purpose. She valued socioeconomic diversity and endeavored to make the seminary affordable for students of modest means.