Monroe, Julia Finney, 1837-1930

Julia Finney Monroe (1837-1930), daughter of Oberlin College's second president Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875), studied in the Oberlin College Ladies' Preparatory Department. In 1865 she married widower James Monroe (1821-1898), then the United States Consul to Rio de Janeiro. Mrs. Monroe was engaged in a wide variety of political and intellectual activities, and was described in later years as "the perfect Victorian woman." In 1885 she founded the Oberlin Industrial School that trained young women to sew and knit. She was deeply involved in the Oberlin Charities Organization, which tried to address the needs of the poor through job training.

From the description of Papers, 1838-1921. (Oberlin College Library). WorldCat record id: 26226974