by Anne Motto, F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections
September 16, 2025
In 1877, E. Elizabeth Dana took over instruction of Morristown’s Morris Female Institute and soon after renamed it Miss E. Elizabeth Dana’s School for Young Ladies. Both a boarding and day school, the renowned institution’s students came from near and far to study foreign languages, art, chemistry, rhetoric, philosophy, botany, algebra, history, and trigonometry. In fact, due to its rigorous curriculum, the school could guarantee its graduates entrance to Wellesley, Smith, and Baltimore (now Goshen) College, and boasted several eminent alumnae, including Caroline Foster of Fosterfields and writer and critic Dorothy Parker. Around the turn of the century, Miss Dana’s published a photo book of the building and grounds, providing a fascinating visual tour of this famed local school.
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