Anna Bell Irish
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- Name
- Anna Bell Irish
- Born
- 27 November 1857
Nebraska City, Nebraska
- Residence
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Denomination
- Presbyterian Westminster Presbyterian Church
- Died
- 12 February 1886
Cleveland, Ohio
- Resting
- Wooster, Ohio
- John Hopkins University, Special Student ()
- University of Wooster, Languages and Literature ()
- Professor (University of Wooster, 1880–1886)
- Secretary, Translator (Department of Interior, 1877–1880)
- Parents
- Mary J. McCann (b.1830–d.1905)
- Orsamus H. Irish (b.1830–d.1883)
- Siblings
- Mary A. Irish (b.1867–d.1886)
- Howard Irish (b.1873–d.1938)
Biography
Anna Bell Irish was born on November 27, 1857 in Nebraska City, Nebraska. She was the oldest daughter of Orsamus H. Irish and Mary J. (McCann) Irish. Her father was a diplomat. When Annie was a teenager, her father's work took the family overseas to live in Germany and France. While there, Annie studied and became fluent in both languages. It was her goal to master both German and French literatures. However, to financially support the family, she obtained a job as a personal secretary to Carl Schurz, Secretary of the Interior. She is believed to have been the first female to hold such a position. Soon, her mastery in both the German and French languages served her well as she soon was translating state documents. In 1879, she acquired the position of Librarian of the Interior Department in Washington, D.C. In September 1880, Miss Annie B. Irish accepted a position in the University of Wooster to teach literature.[1] In The Times-Democrat (New Orleans, Louisiana), it was reported that she had "been elected Lecturer on Modern Literature in the University of Wooster, Ohio." The article continued to state that "Miss Irish...has devoted her life to the mastery of the modern languages being a master of French, German, Spanish, Italian and Scandinavian." [2] Her life ended prematurely at the young age of 28. She had left the University of Wooster to care for her younger sibling and contracted Scarlet Fever. Annie died in Cleveland, Ohio on February 12, 1886. She is buried at the Wooster Cemetery.
Annie B. Irish came to the University of Wooster not only to teach but to continue her studies in German and Anglo-Saxon. She was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Wooster, making her the first student to receive the honor. Her classes became some of the most popular at the College. She was soon named Chair of the Modern Language Department. [3]
U.S. Census
- 1860: Otoe, Nebraska Territory
- 1870: Not in the United States
- 1880: Washington, District of Columbia
Occupations
- 1877-1881: Translator for the State Department and librarian for the Department of the Interior
- Professor of German language and literature at the University of Wooster
Educational Services
- Recipient of first Ph. D in German in the United States