Long before the Spice Girls preached “Girl Power” and Sheryl Sandberg shared the importance of leaning in, Sophie Bell Wright, a New Orleans school teacher during the late 1800s and early 1900s, taught us two things: age ain’t nothing but a number, and women are dynamic influencers who are every bit equals to male counterparts.
Sophie Wright holds a special place in our hearts at FSC – our office is located on Sophie Wright Place, and our founders are a group of talented, influential women just like Sophie Wright herself.
On March 5, 1903 – 112 years ago to the day – Sophie Wright was awarded the Loving Cup, a major award that had previously been given only to male philanthropists. She also received a whopping $10,000 raised by New Orleanians to pay off her mortgage on the first free night school in New Orleans.
With this special day in mind, we’re taking a look back at Sophie Wright’s tremendous accomplishments. Way to go, Sophie!
An Early Start
A medical condition kept Sophie in a wheelchair for seven years – only once she started walking on crutches at age 10 could she begin attending school. However, within just 4 years, Sophie not only excelled at school but also realized a lifelong passion to help others.
In 1880, at just 14 years of age, she opened her own facility called the Day School for Girls. By 16, she taught public school while also continuing to operate her day school. A year later, her school became so popular that it was chartered; she also leased a bigger building and hired teachers and a principal to accommodate her growing list of female pupils.
A Groundbreaking Idea
Though Sophie taught throughout the 1880s, school wasn’t mandatory in Louisiana until 1916 (four years after she died). Many children and young adults worked during the day – poverty not only forced them to find jobs, but also prevented them from receiving education of any kind. When one impoverished young man approached Sophie to help tutor him, she agreed to teach him for free in the evenings.
This act of kindness sparked a movement – Sophie opened the first free, public night school in New Orleans. Though she had to borrow $10,000 for a down payment, Sophie remained committed to the idea of providing a dedicated institution for everyone to learn for free.
Other Philanthropic Efforts
In 1897, yellow fever swept the city. While many healthy residents were afraid to help the sick, Sophie immediately took action. She turned her schoolhouse into a supply warehouse stocked with food, clothes, and medicine that she distributed to sick people all over the city. The yellow fever outbreak left her broke – she spent all of her resources trying to help the community. Fortunately, wealthy donors lent her money so she could continue her school.
In the following years, attendance grew exponentially (she went from 300 pupils to 1,000 in a single year). Course selection grew, too: all of Sophie’s students could choose from classes like algebra, geometry, bookkeeping, calculus, mechanical drawing, and much more.
Never content to stop working for social well-being and change, Sophie Wright also focused on prison reform and expanding public playgrounds while also opening her Home for Incurables, an institution for physically disabled orphans that was the first of its kind in Louisiana.
Best Citizen of New Orleans
So many incredible acts of innovation and kindness led to Sophie winning the Loving Cup award in 1903. Headlines definitively named Sophie the “Best Citizen of New Orleans,” and thousands of New Orleanians gathered to celebrate her win. The city also presented her with a $10,000 check (citizens raised the funds) to help her pay off the mortgage for her school in full.
Sophie Wright’s Legacy
Sophie was the first woman in New Orleans to have a public building erected in her name – in 1912, Sophie B. Wright School became the first modern public high school for girls in the city, and today it remains open as a charter school.
Of course, Sophie Wright Place is another testament to Sophie’s lasting impact on the city, and Sophie Wright Park (with a statue of Sophie) underscores her importance to New Orleans and its residents.
Sophie was just 46 when she died, but she made an incredible and lasting impact on the city of New Orleans. We are proud and tremendously grateful to work on Sophie Wright Place – our location on such an influential street infuses our work with Sophie’s characteristic tenacity and innovation.