Clara French

Clara French (July 30, 1863 – October 6, 1888), together with Vida Dutton Scudder, was the first American woman admitted to the graduate program at Oxford University. French supported the Settlement movement and was one of the founding members of the College Settlements Association. While in college they were interested in settlement work and together with Helen Rand, class of '84, and Jean Fine, class of '83, they planned to open a settlement under the auspices of the Women's Colleges. The plan was to open a settlement in 1887, but French died in 1888, and the other three decided to renounce to the idea for the time being. Later, Helen Rand opened the first college settlement at Rivington Street in New York City.

In 1885, Scudder and French were the first American women admitted to the graduate program at Oxford. Scudder and French returned to Boston in 1886.

French went to teach in the Normal School at New Paltz, New York. The winter of 1887–88, she spent at Cornell, where she received the master's degree in the spring. In September 1888, she went to Wellesley College, where she had been appointed instructor in the department of English literature. After less than two weeks of work, she was stricken with typhoid fever, and died on October 6. She was twenty-five years old. Her grave is in the shadow of great oaktrees at Syracuse, New York, The cross that rises above it bears the words, "Rejoice and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her."

Publications In 1887, French, together with Scudder, edited Poems by George MacDonald.