Helen Martha Ekin Starrett (September 19, 1840 – December 16, 1920) was a prominent American educator, author, suffragist, and magazine founder.Queer Places:
Starrett School for Girls, 4707 S Vincennes Ave, Chicago, IL 60653, USA
Mountain View Cemetery, 2 Emery Ln, Oakland, CA 94618, United States
Helen Martha Ekin Starrett (September 19, 1840 – December 16, 1920) was a prominent American educator, author, suffragist, and magazine founder.
Born Helen Martha Ekin on September 19, 1840, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Reverend John and Esther Fell (Lee) Ekin.
She was educated at Pittsburgh High School and began her teaching career at the Edgeworth Ladies' Seminary.
In Chicago, she founded the Kenwood Institute (1884) and the Starrett School for Girls (1893), where she served as principal for 30 years. Her school was highly regarded, with certificates of graduation accepted by major institutions like Vassar, Wellesley, Smith, and the University of Chicago.
She founded the Western Magazine (1880–1883) and contributed to various educational and religious journals. She was a prolific author of books on women’s education and social life, including The Future of Educated Women (1880), Letters to a Daughter (1882), and The Charm of Fine Manners (1920).
A lifelong suffragist, she attended both the first U.S. woman suffrage convention in 1870 and the final one in 1920. She also served as president of the Illinois Woman’s Press Association (1893–1894).
In 1915, she was appointed as one of the 100 electors for the New York University Hall of Fame. She spent her final years in Portland, Oregon, where she passed away on December 16, 1920.
The relationship between Helen E. Starrett and the founders of the Columbia School of Oratory (now Columbia College Chicago), Mary A. Blood and Ida Morey Riley, was one of close personal friendship and support.
Mary A. Blood and Ida Morey Riley lived in the residence of Helen E. Starrett.
Following the death of Ida Morey Riley on March 7, 1901, the depth of this connection was evidenced by the fact that her funeral services were held at Helen Starrett's residence.
While Blood and Riley are primarily known for their joint work in establishing the Columbia School of Oratory and publishing their instructional series, The Psychological Development of Expression, their personal lives were deeply intertwined with Starrett’s household during their time in Chicago.
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