1821–1895

Introduction

portrait

Born: March 17, 1821, Kings­ville, Ohio.

Died: No­vem­ber 6, 1895, Win­ches­ter, Ten­nes­see.

Buried: Winchester City Cemetery, Win­ches­ter, Ten­nes­see.

Biography

Adelia was the daugh­ter of phy­si­cian Dan­iel M. Spen­cer and Ma­ri­an T. Cook, and wife of Zu­ing­li­us Cal­vin Graves, pre­si­dent of the Kings­ville Aca­de­my (where she taught draw­ing and French), lat­er found­er and for 40 years pre­si­dent of Ma­ry Sharp Col­lege, Win­che­ster, Ten­nes­see.

Adelia showed her gift for po­et­ry ve­ry young, writ­ing vers­es as ear­ly as age nine.

She served at Ma­ry Sharp Col­lege first as a pro­fess­or of La­tin and Belles-Lettres, then as Ma­tron and Pro­fess­or of Rhe­tor­ic. She con­trib­ut­ed po­ems and sto­ries to va­ri­ous pe­ri­od­ic­als, and for a num­ber of years ed­it­ed the Child­ren’s Book.

Works

Sources

Lyrics