Mount Vernon College for Women

Mount Vernon College for Women was a private women's college in Washington, D.C. It merged with George Washington University in 1999 and is now known as the Mount Vernon Campus of The George Washington University. Mount Vernon College was founded in 1875, but its roots trace back to 1868, when Elizabeth Somers began tutoring the young daughters of prominent Washington men in her house at 204 F Street, NW in Washington, DC. At the time, there were no schools for the education of girls in Washington, DC. Her first three students were the daughters of Judge Dennis Cooley—Clara, Minnie and Mary. Their father, Judge Cooley, approached Mrs. Somers and asked her to teach his daughters in preparation for their attendance at Vassar College. When...