Records of the Trustees of Teachers College

Grace Hoadley Dodge (May 21, 1856 - December 27, 1914) was a founder and early trustee of Teachers College. Inspired by the philanthropic and religious traditions of her family, she devoted her life to various social and educational causes. She was among the founders of the Kitchen Garden Association (KGA), established in 1880, which aimed to instruct poor girls in the fundamentals of domestic service. Grace Dodge was instrumental in the KGA’s growth and oversaw its transformation and redesign into the Industrial Education Association (IEA)  in 1884, which is when she took on the role of the organization’s Vice President. With Dodge at the helm, the Industrial Education Association reimagined the mission of the KGA, broadening  its interests to include boys and girls’ social improvement through education.

Grace Dodge Portrait Photograph. Historical Photographs of Teachers College.  Courtesy of Gottesman Libraries.

The Industrial Education Association expanded into a hub of information and activity surrounding industrial arts. Grace Dodge recruited new leaders and sought a permanent home to further its operations. In 1886, the IEA found a home in the old Union Theological Seminary Building at 9 University Place in Greenwich Village, and in 1887 Dodge appointed Nicholas Murray Butler, a professor at Columbia University, as president of the IEA. The Industrial Education Association was at the heart of Dodge’s various  philanthropic, educational, and social welfare activities, and through Dodge’s guidance, it continued to expand its programming, its activities, and its outlook. The IEA’s growth  culminated in the founding of Teachers College in 1887. At the time, the college was known as the New York College for the Training of Teachers, officially becoming Teachers College in 1892. 

Grace Dodge served as treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Teachers College from 1893-1904; was a founder and director of the Association of Working Girls' Societies; and was president of the National Board of the Young Women's Christian Association. She was one of the first women to be appointed a member of the New York City Board of Education in 1886 alongside Mary Nash Agnew. Throughout her lifetime, Dodge headed, funded, or otherwise participated in projects and organizations interested in social welfare, education, and other concerns. She was a guiding force for Teachers College until her death in 1914 and through her generosity and tireless fundraising efforts, ensured the financial solvency of Teachers College, which enabled it to expand and grow.

The Grace Dodge Papers cover the period between 1874 and 1915 and are comprised of Dodge’s personal papers, diaries, and scrapbooks relating to her philanthropic, social, and educational work with women’s societies and educational institutions. Collected materials include: a manuscript notebook dating from 1889-1902 labeled "Personal Work, Papers, and Addresses," which contain notes on lectures Dodge delivered about working girls' clubs; lists of topics for talks and lectures to be delivered at women's groups, Bible classes, girls' clubs, and other groups; copies of letters written in her capacity as treasurer of Teachers College in the 1890s; reports of the Committee on Holiday Houses (1893-1896); accounts and attendance records of the Choral Union (1893-1894); and miscellaneous notes. The collection holds four diaries dating from January 1899-January 1914, which are comprised of brief daily entries; a record book (1874-1913) which includes statistics on Dodge's correspondence and other office work, speaking engagements, writings, and other activities; as well as three volumes relating to the activities of three Ps Circle of the 38th Street Working Girls' Society, New York (1899-1915). The three Ps (purity, perseverance, and pleasantness) volumes consist of printed cards, pictures, postcards, and leaflets which offer advice, instructions, and inspirational messages for girls, as well as circular letters which were distributed at the social club. Among the collection items is also a "Book of Reminiscences," 1884-1909, a scrapbook presented to Grace Dodge by her friends at Teachers College, which includes photographs of Teachers College and its surroundings, printed flyers and announcements relating to Teachers College events, and tributes to Dodge.

This collection encompasses manuscript materials acquired by the library in the early 20th century. Additional Grace Dodge manuscripts have been incorporated into President Walter L. Hervey’s papers, James Earl Russell’s papers, and the records of former Teachers College librarian Elizabeth Baldwin. These materials consist primarily of correspondence between Dodge and the aforementioned individuals.

Series 1-4 of Grace Dodge's papers have been digitized and are available through the Teachers College Digital Collections.

The accession number for Series 1 is 800625.

The accession number for materials in Series 2-5 is 870001.