Helen Holmes was born in Kingston, Massachusetts, graduated from Smith College in 1887, and subsequently pursued graduate studies at Radcliff College and the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now University of Massachusetts at Amherst), where she was one of the first women to attend classes. She resided at the Hillholm Farm in Kingston. She enjoyed traveling, art, music, gardening and civic affairs, and had an affinity for linguistics, which enabled her to become fluent in French, Italian, and German as well as English.
(cont.) She served as the superintendent of schools for the town of Kingston, and for about three years she was the hostess of the Maison Internationale in Geneva, Switzerland. Helen Holmes was an active participant in many different facets of public life including Old Home Days, garden clubs, community markets, social work at Plymouth Cordage, and the Plymouth Girls Club. She was the first president of the Jones River Village Club and served as a president of the New England Farm and Garden Association.
From the description of Helen Holmes papers 1883-1938 (Old Colony Library Network). WorldCat record id: 70667837
