Anna Eliot Ticknor and Her Society to Encourage Studies at Home

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Anna Ticknor was a key figure in the development of education in the United States in the nineteenth century, particularly in the areas of distance education and home learning. Working out of her home at No. 9 Park Street, then 41 Marlborough Street with her Committee, she helped to open the door to higher education for more than 7,000 women. Join Marie Oedel and Cheryl Mariolis as they present the story of Anna’s legacy. Through her steadfast efforts she endeavored to help women continue to learn no matter what their personal circumstances by establishing the first correspondence school in the United States in 1873. Anna Ticknor also established a lending library to help students who could not afford or could not find the materials needed for their course of study, which was donated to the Boston Public Library and the Ft. Worth Carnegie Library.

Marie Oedel went to the North Bennet Street School to study bookbinding after a career at Goldman Sachs. She has been the book conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts for the past 15 years, is a Past President of the Ticknor Society and a current Board member. In addition, she is a member of the Grolier Club and a Proprietor of the Boston and Salem Athenaeums. Her current research interest is in 17th century English embroidered books and jewel caskets.

Cheryl Mariolis is a former Harvard University investment portfolio manager who has turned her life-long love of knitting into another career. She develops and teaches workshops and classes, works with knitwear designers, publications and manufacturers, and creates exclusive designs for private clients. Cheryl is a board member of the Ticknor Society, advisory board member of The Greek Institute and a member/moderator of several literary discussion groups at the Boston Athenaeum. She is currently working on a collection of knitwear designs based on Proust's "In Search of Lost Time".  Her current scholarly research is on Prof. E. A. Sophocles, who taught Greek at Harvard from 1840 to 1882.