widenerlibrary:Women Behind Widener: Eleanor Elkins Widener Rice, philanthropist and fearless explor
widenerlibrary:Women Behind Widener: Eleanor Elkins Widener Rice, philanthropist and fearless explorer After surviving the disaster of the Titanic, Eleanor donated a vast sum of money to finance the construction of the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, which was dedicated to her son. In addition to donating money, she was heavily involved in planning and designing the library. Her story doesn’t end there, though. In 1915 she married Dr. Alexander Hamilton Rice, an explorer and professor at Harvard. Together they went on three expeditions up the Amazon River. During these trips Eleanor observed and recorded the habits of native women, founded schools for children, and managed to escape from being captured by “cannibals.”Photo courtesy of the Harvard University Archives. -- source link
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