Henry Lefavour (1902-1933)

Portrait of Henry Lefavour, c. 1934.

Henry Lefavour, 1860-1946, received his B.A. and Ph.D. in Physics from Williams College. He became Dean of the Faculty at Williams in 1887 and in 1890 was promoted to Professor of Physics. In 1901, the Corporation of the recently founded, but yet unopened, Simmons Female College approached Lefavour and asked him to conduct a study and write a report on a program of organization that would translate John Simmons' vision into reality. Lefavour presented his report to the Corporation on September 26, 1901. As part of his presentation, he stated:

I should advise then at the outset a technical college of high standard, receiving girls who have already a foundation of general knowledge and graduating them well-equipped with both a broad intellectual or artistic foundation and a specialized technical training that will open to them some avenue of renumerative labor.

The Corporation accepted Lefavour's report and elected him President of the College on December 6, 1901. In October 1902, the first class was admitted to the College. During his tenure, Lefavour sought to realize John Simmons' vision through a series of endownment campaigns supported by other administrators, faculty, and students. These campaigns not only gathered enough money for the purchase and construction of land needed for the Main College Building, but also led to the construction of the first residence halls. Throughout Lefavour's presidency, these efforts led to a significant increase in the College population, expanding 146 students and 28 faculty members into 1,577 students and 147 faculty members by his final year. Lefavour remained an active member of the Corporation until his death in 1946.