As I write this, my head is spinning with so much information on the woman, the myth, the legend, Mary Noyes Colvin, and yet also, so many questions left frustratingly unanswered. Let’s start from what I consider the beginning. I only found two published works by Colvin: one, an edited translation of “The Siege and Conqueste of Jerusalem”, by William of Tyre from way back in 1130-approximately 1190, complete with an extraordinarily detailed introduction and notes, index, and vocabulary by Colvin. The other, her dissertation for her PhD… in German. Think she’s cool yet? Yeah, it gets better.

After studying at Mount Holyoke College and teaching thereafter for a few years, Colvin enrolled in the University of Zurich. There, in 1888, she became the first woman in the university’s history to be awarded a PhD. I found this information from an article about her being appointed professor of romance languages at the Western Reserve University in Ohio in 1893. Interestingly enough, I came across more or less the same blurb in countless newspapers from the time in January 1893: The Indianapolis Journal in Indiana, Galena Weekly Republican in Kansas, the Lafayette Gazette in Louisiana, Buffalo Evening News in New York, the list goes on. Mary Noyes Colvin was appointed a professor at a college in Ohio, and cities around the country told her story. She was, it seems, kind of a big deal.

That particular article goes on to tell that since 1889 Colvin was secretary of the Bryn Mawr Preparatory School, a Baltimore girls school that still exists today. That’s where Baltimore comes in, and with it, our WLCB. According to our membership list, Colvin was only a member of WLCB in its first season, 1890-91, but I think she must’ve been a member from 91-92 as well, as her and the Club in 1892 played a big role in fighting to improve Baltimore schools, specifically girls schools. In an article sub headlined “Many of the Defects Pointed Out by the Committee of the Woman’s Literary Club Have Been Remedied Since the Committee Made Its Investigation”, Mary Noyes Colvin is credited as having reported on the areas in which Baltimore schools were failing. Professor Wise, the Superintendent, supposedly takes Colvin’s advice, and it is announced that the several changes to schools have been made, including “raising the curriculum of the female grammar schools to an equality with male grammar schools”. You go, Mary.

And yet, while I can find information like all of this, I can’t find Mary Noyes Colvin’s birthday. She might’ve grown up in New York, as the earliest information I can find about her is from 1882 in an article announcing her previous work experience as a teacher in Dansville, New York, and appointment of another position at Genesco State Normal School. The same article credits her as being the daughter of Judge Noyes and “possessing rare accomplishments”… lol. Maybe if I had Judge Noyes’s full name I could find him, and in turn, find Mary Noyes’s date of birth and death, but alas, for once, it has proven difficult to find even a man from this time period. I guess I can’t complain, considering I’ve found more about Mary Noyes Colvin than her judge father or even her husband, who must exist, because of the whole, “Mrs. Colvin” thing but he’s MIA too.

So, I still have questions. But I’ve got a good amount of answers, too. Mary Noyes Colvin was nothing short of a badass. And to further solidify that, check out these people who knew her vouch for it in this compilation of letters of reference of hers, circa 1882-88.

*Mic drop.*