ABBY LEACH
1855 - 1918
By the death of Abby Leach, Professor of Greek, on
December 29, l9l8, the college lost a member of its
faculty who had served it ably and faithfully since
1883, and who in her teachin strove for "that
partnership between teacher and taught which," says
Professor Butcher, "has given to the world the high-
est thought of Greece." Under her initiative Greek
was made a separate department, and the college was
among the first to stage a Greek play, Antigone. She
also promoted the study of Greek by her work in Clas-
sical Associations, as a member from the outset of
the Board of Managers of the American School at Athens,
and as President in 1899-1900 of the American Philo-
logical Association. She was an active member of the
Associate Alumnae of Vassar, and the President in
1899-1901 of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae.
Her interest in other than academic matters was keen;
her circle of friends and acquaintances, large; and
her influence, far-reaching. Resolute, conscientious
in duty, self-reliant yet upheld by Christian faith,
she battled at the last with a painful disease but
held steadily to her regular work until vacation and
death came together.
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