Catherine Beecher was an eloquent spokesperson for women's education. Often referred to as the genius of a woman's true profession, Catherine pioneered to advance the equal opportunities for women in academic arenas by enthusiastically finding various schools as well as promoting women as natural teachers capable of educating the future leaders and minds of the country.
             Catherine Beecher was born on September 6, 1800 in the small town of East Hampton, Long Island to the eminent pastor Lyman Beecher. As the eldest of thirteen children, Catherine was commanded to care for the younger children and perform daily household chores. Her intellectual and practical mother educated her in reading, writing, spelling and furnished her with the accomplishments of the time such as painting and music. These tiresome years of labor and learning taught her "to perform whatever I attempted; at least with moderate excellence," (Beecher 14) a lesson that would assist her in achieving her future accomplishments.
             Beecher's relatively carefree life came to a halt when her mother died when she was only sixteen. A few short years later, Catherine realized she needed to support herself by doing the only vocation open to her at that time, teaching. In 1923, she and her sister opened a school for girls in Hartford, Connecticut. The first few years were troublesome with inadequate equipment and no financial aide. When all seemed lost another tragic event occurred, the death of her fiancé, Professor Fisher of Yale, which spurred Catherine into a severe state of depression. She decided to devote her life to improving the academic arena for women. Her first provision was to request funding for the Hartford Seminary. Her request was at first mocked and denied, but with the
             assistance of other influential women her demands were met. "This was my first experience of the moral power and good judgement of Am...