Mary Tiffany Wales (1874–1952) was a college-educated teacher and co-founder of Johnson & Wales Business School in Providence, Rhode Island.

Wales, c. 1914

Early life edit

Mary Tiffany Wales was born in 1874 in Wilmington, Delaware.[1] She attended Pennsylvania State Normal School (now Millersville University of Pennsylvania) in Millersville, Pennsylvania, graduating 1893.[2] She spent five years teaching in Pennsylvania, then moved to Massachusetts where she taught for twelve years.[2] In 1911 Mary moved to Providence to teach at the Rhode Island Commercial School (now Bryant University).[1]

School founder edit

 
Wales Hall at Johnson & Wales University

In 1914, with fellow teacher Gertrude I. Johnson, she co-founded Johnson & Wales Business School in Providence, Rhode Island. It has grown into the present-day Johnson & Wales University, with four campuses in the Eastern U.S.

Later life edit

With Mary in poor health, the two women sold the business school in June 1947[2] and retired together in Warwick, Rhode Island.[1] Mary died of cancer in 1952.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c DeSimone, Russell (2015). "Mary T. Wales". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Frank L. Grzyb and Russell DeSimone (2014). Remarkable Women of Rhode Island. History Press.