Sanford, Maria L. (1836-1920), an educator and public speaker, was one of the first woman professors in the United States. She taught at Swarthmore College from 1871 to 1880 and at the University of Minnesota from 1880 to 1909. She was a supporter of women’s rights and a leading educator of African Americans, Indians, and exceptional students. A statue of Sanford stands in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. She was born on Dec. 19, 1836, in Saybrook, Connecticut. She died on April 21, 1920.
