Introduction

Biography

Clarissa was the daugh­ter of hym­nist Will­iam Spenc­er.

Spencer at­tend­ed Well­es­ley Col­lege and the Wo­men’s Col­lege of Bal­ti­more, Ma­ry­land (now Gouch­er Col­lege) (BA 1895).

In 1896, she went to Ja­pan for the Me­tho­dist Board of For­eign Mis­sions. She di­rect­ed five Me­tho­dist day-schools in To­kyo, and lat­er the Bi­ble Wo­men’s Train­ing School in Yo­ko­ha­ma.

She re­turned to Am­eri­ca up­on her fa­ther’s death in 1901.

She was ac­tive in the Young Wo­men’s Chris­tian As­so­cia­tion (YWCA), and soon af­ter went to Lon­don to serve as Ge­ne­ral Sec­re­ta­ry of the YWCA’s World Com­mit­tee.