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Family History

The Sears family lineage begins with Richard Sares, who lived in the Plymouth Colony around 1630. The Sears family also includes Edmond Sears, who, in 1849, composed "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear". Most of the notable members of the Sears family had an educational or religious backgrounds. Constant, Sears' father, was born in 1802 and died in 1861. Deborah, Sears' mother, was born in April 19, 1801 and died in 1861. Constant and Deborah married in 1824. Constant was sea captain and retired to be a cranberry farmer and salt manufacturer. Though several studies have tried, there is almost no known information on the life of Deborah Sears. Overall, the Sears' Family consists primarily of sea captions, religious figures in Methodist and Baptist faith, as well as educators.

Early Life

Julia Ann Sears was born to Constant and Deborah Chipman Sears on March 19, 1839 in East Dennis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Julia was the youngest of five siblings: Thankful Snow, Emily, Sarah R., and Betsey Thomas. Her mother had another daughter, who passed away in 1832. Julia had no uncles or brothers. It is suggested, this may have helped her develop a sense of independence. As children, Julia and her sisters underwent religious training by Methodist ministers, at month-long summer camps. In her later years, Sears recalled pretending to be a teacher when playing with friends.

Education

Julia Sears attended a common school in East Dennis, from age five to age fifteen. By 1844, the beginning of Julia Sears education, Massachusetts required schools to teach reading, writing, orthography, good behavior, English, arithmetic, and geography. Though it remains unclear, it is believed Sears attended the East Dennis Academy from 1854 to 1858. During this time, Julia decided she wanted to be an educator. Sears moved away from home and attended Bridgewater Normal School from 1858 to 1860. Students were asked to affirm their devotion to becoming a teacher or they would be charged $10 for every term they attended the school. The principle of Bridgewater Normal School, Marshall Conant, had a passion for mathematics, astronomy and mechanics. Julia Sears and Mr. Conant worked closely together during her time as a student there, possibly influencing her later career choice of becoming a mathematics professor. At the end of her education Julia Sears received a General Diploma of the Institution, similar to a modern-day GED.

Teaching

Between 1860 and 1866 Julia Sears taught at a normal school in Cape Cod. In 1866, Sears was a teacher in Western State Normal School, later to be named Farmington State Normal School. The principle of Western State Normal School was George M. Gage, but in 1868 he moved to Mankato, Minnesota. Julia Sears had known George Gage, as a schoolmate, at Bridgewater Normal School. After Gage's departure, Sears went to teach at Prescott School for Boys and Girls in Charlestown, Boston. From 1869 to 1871, Sears was the Head Assistant. In the summer of 1870, George Gage offered Sears the position of Head Assistant at Mankato Normal School, but Julia refused this offer. During this time, Sears studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Citation Links

https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdl.reflections.msu10005

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/tu_chet_ver01/data/sn83045160/00200293125/1875102601/0369.pdf

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/mnhi_datsun_ver01/data/sn85033526/00212472566/1873070301/0105.pdf

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/mnhi_datsun_ver01/data/sn85033526/00212472566/1873091801/0149.pdf

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/GT3000264791/NCNP?u=eckerd&sid=NCNP&xid=648c4855

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED394424.pdf