Annie E. Johnson

Annie E. Johnson was a pioneering educator and a trailblazer for women in leadership roles in the 19th century. In 1874, she made history by becoming the first woman elected to the Framingham School Committee, a remarkable achievement at a time when women did not have the right to vote in Massachusetts or the country. This milestone came just eight years after she became the first woman to serve as principal of a Massachusetts Normal School in 1866, which would later evolve into Framingham State University.

Under her leadership, Annie E. Johnson transformed the Normal School. She oversaw the renovation of the school, including the installation of steam heat, the addition of a third-floor library, and the purchase of land for the school’s first dormitory. Johnson also introduced a groundbreaking approach to teacher education by requiring future educators to work with real students, a practice that remains central to teacher training today.

A graduate of Bowdoin College at the age of 15, Johnson taught at all levels, from primary school to high school, before taking the principal role. 

Her appointment as principal was described by the school’s Board as an experiment, but Governor Alexander Hamilton Bullock supported the decision, praising the role of women in education. Johnson served as principal until 1875 and continued to advocate for education and women’s leadership. Her election to the School Committee in 1874 further cemented her legacy as a pioneer in both education and women’s rights.