Marguerite Souther
Marguerite Souther | |
|---|---|
 Marguerite Souther, from the 1904 yearbook of Smith College | |
| Born | April 3, 1882 Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 1975 (aged 93) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupations | Dance educator, community leader |
| Relatives | John Souther (grandfather) |
Marguerite "Rita" P. Souther (April 3, 1882 – July 15, 1975) was an American dance educator and community leader, based all her life in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood.
Early life and education
[edit]Souther was born in Jamaica Plain, the daughter of Charles Henry Souther and Mary Louisa Wheelock Souther. Her grandfather was engineer and inventor John Souther.[1] She graduated from Smith College in 1904.[2]
Career
[edit]Souther began offering dance lessons after college; these soon grew into society dance classes at Eliot Hall in Jamaica Plain,[3] popular for children and young adults from elite families.[4][5] Her classes also included instruction on dress, diet, and etiquette.[6] She retired from teaching in the 1960s, leaving the school to her niece, Barbara Southern Cooke.[7] In 1962, she was honored with a surprise party attended by her former students.[8]
Souther was a familiar and respected figure in Jamaica Plain, beyond the dance classroom. She was a member of the Tuesday Club,[9] and provided collateral to save the Loring–Greenough House from demolition in 1924.[10][11][12] She was a volunteer librarian at Faulkner Hospital.[13] She donated her grandfather's papers to the National Museum of American History,[14] and made other donations to the Boston Athenaeum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Personal life and legacy
[edit]Souther died in 1975, at the age of 93, in Newton.[15] Her family's estate is now the site of a retirement community.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Mittell, David A. (2005-04-14). "Dancing School of Miss Marguerite Souther (2003)". Jamaica Plain Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ Smith College, Class of 1904 (1904 yearbook): 39, via Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Footlight Club (Eliot Hall)". Your Audio Tour. Archived from the original on 2025-11-26. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ Liston, Carol (1971-10-13). "The Status of Boston Society; Debs' Dance Tune Fading". The Boston Globe. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-10-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Their Thanks to Miss Souther". The Boston Globe. 1966-04-26. p. 46. Retrieved 2025-10-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Arnold, Alison (1974-05-19). "A tradition that won't die". The Boston Globe. p. 194. Retrieved 2025-10-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Arnold, Alison (1974-05-19). "A tradition that won't die". The Boston Globe. p. 194. Retrieved 2025-10-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Sherman, Marjorie W. (1962-05-03). "Society: Miss Souther Honored by Former Students". The Boston Globe. p. 38. Retrieved 2025-10-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Marx, Walter H. "Jamaica Plain's Role in the 19th Century Back Bay Fill (1993)". Jamaica Plain Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ "The Tuesday Club". Boston Women's Heritage Trail. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ "Marguerite Souther to Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club, Incorporated, quitclaim deed". Digital Commonwealth: Massachusetts Collections Online. Archived from the original on 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ Clark, Dorothy A. "The Historic Act of Saving the Loring Greenough House" Archived 2024-06-12 at the Wayback Machine Loring Greenough (July 29, 2019).
- ↑ Marcus, Cara (2010). Faulkner Hospital. Arcadia Publishing. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-7385-7324-3.
- ↑ "John Souther Collection". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
- ↑ "Marguerite Souther, taught dancing to 3 generations". The Boston Globe. 1975-07-17. p. 52. Retrieved 2025-10-22 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- Antique teacup and saucer donated by Souther, at Historic New England
- Photograph from a Tuesday Club party honoring Souther, at Digital Commonwealth