Junior League of Lancaster recently announced the formation of the Lydia Hamilton Smith (LHS) Society, a new mentoring program designed in cooperation with J.P. McCaskey High School to help girls develop social, business, research and entrepreneurial skills.
The society’s name honors the legacy of Lancaster’s own Lydia Hamilton Smith, the 19th-century African American female entrepreneur who also served as business manager for abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens. The LHS Society will help 12 sophomore-age girls develop social, business, research and entrepreneurial skills over a commitment of three years, ultimately fostering a greater sense of independence, self-awareness, poise and resolve, as well as a better understanding of the role women played in the history of the United States.
Members of the Junior League of Lancaster, J.P. McCaskey High School teachers and staff, and Lydia Hamilton Smith re-enactor Darlene Colon participate in weekly group meetings and serve as mentors.
I am interested to learn the level of education of Lydia Hamilton Smith. Was she self-educated or did she receive public education via the public schools (which Stevens championed) in her birthplace at Gettysburg?