Susan Elizabeth Blow

Died - March 27, 1916 in New York, NY

Susan grew up in a deeply religious home. Her father was a successful industrialist and U.S. Congressman which allowed her to be educated by tutors and private schools in New Orleans and New York City.

Susan was born in Missouri. She also opened the first public kindergarten in Missouri and established a training school for kindergarten teachers in our great state.

Susan Blow became very interested in the thought of Frederick Froebel, a German intellectual who was pioneering a new way of teaching children in Europe in what was known as kindergarten. While in Europe with her father, she learned firsthand how his teachings were being incorporated into the schools. When she returned, she opened the first public kindergarten in the United States at the Des Peres School in St. Louis, Missouri, in September 1873. The next year she established a training school for kindergarten teachers.

Once she had taught many people in St. Louis about her kindergarten philosophy, she traveled extensively teaching people all over the United States lecturing and authoring books. This took a huge toll on her health and she died in 1916. Her body was brought back to St. Louis to be buried.