Ada Howard (December 19, 1829 - 1907) was the first president of Wellesley College. After post-graduate study under private teachers she adopted the profession of a teacher. She was at Mount Holyoke seminary, 1858-61; at the Western, Oxford, Ohio, 1861-62, and was principal of the woman's department, Knox college, Illinois, 1866-69. In 1870-75, she leased Ivy Hall, a private school in Bridgeton, N.J. In 1875 she was elected the first president of Wellesley college, Mass., the selection being made by Henry Fowle Durant, the founder of the college. This promotion made Howard the first woman president of a college in the world. Here she worked in full harmony with Mr. and Mrs. Durant and her labors in furthering the plans of the founders were unremitting up to the time of the death of Mr. Dur