Katharine Lee Bates
Week of May 22, 2000 A s we salute Old Glory during commencement, let's hearken to an era gone by, and remember Katharine Lee Bates (August 12, 1859 - March 28, 1929), Wellesley Person of the Week. A celebrated poet, Bates authored the vividly descriptive "America the Beautiful", whose words and melody grace public gatherings throughout the land to this day. Bates was born in Falmouth, MA . Sadly, her father, Congregational minister William Bates, passed away a mere month following her birth. Katharine's brothers entered the world of work at an early age to help their mother, Cornelia Frances (Lee) Bates, support the family in William's absence, and to ensure that their sister "Katie" would receive the finest education available. Her intellect and academic potential were evident even in her earliest years. The Bates family moved from Falmouth to Wellesley, MA, when Katharine was 12 years old. Bates graduated from Newton High School and Wellesley High School. She then enrolled at the recently founded Wellesley College, where she earned a B.A degree in 1880, and was president of the college's second graduating class. | |
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