Leah Crabtree Emerson

Born: August 25, 1895 in Island Falls, Maine
Died: December 12, 1861 [Note: Document likely contains a typo for year of death]
Buried:

Anatole France (1844-1924) was a French Poet, Journalist and Novelist. In 1921 He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Mr. France wrote: “To accomplish great things we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe.” Let me introduce to you a local citizen who rose to be a state leader in Education.

Ms. Leah Crabtree was born in 1895, the daughter of Samuel and Margaret Crabtree. Ms. Crabtree attended Island Falls High School and continued her education at Simmons College in Boston. She taught school for a few years and later in life received an honorary degree from Ricker College in Houlton. Ms. Crabtree was the wife of Ralph Emerson. Mr. Emerson operated the Drugstore in Island Falls. They had 2 sons.

Mrs. Emerson continued her lifelong commitment to education. She was the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Trustees of the State Normal School which later became the Maine State Board of Education in 1949. From 1949 to 1960 she continued to be an active member, and in 1961 she was elected chairman of the organization being the first woman to hold this office.

She did not stop there. Mrs. Emerson was President of the Maine chapter and chairman of the Public Education Division of the General Federation of Woman’s club. This club was founded in 1890 during the progressive movement. This organization promotes civic improvements through volunteer service. Many of its activities and service projects are done independently by local clubs through their communities. Today the Federation maintains nearly 70,000 members throughout the United States and Internationally. It remains one of the world’s largest and oldest nonpartisan, nondenominational, women’s volunteer service organizations. The Headquarters are in Washington, D. C.

In 1903 the State passed a bill to establish The Aroostook State Normal School. The first graduating class in 1905 had 5 students. Over time, growth in the student population required additional housing. In 1963 at the University of Maine in Presque Isle a new dormitory was built. In honor of Mrs. Emerson’s service to education the State of Maine named the building Emerson Hall.

I believe Mrs. Leah Crabtree Emerson followed this same ideology as the Nobel Prize winner Anatole France.