Margaret Clapp

Life & Legacy

Margaret Antoinette Clapp (April 10, 1910 – May 3, 1974) was an American scholar, educator, and writer. She won the Pulitzer Prize for her 1947 biography of American Civil War Union diplomat John Bigelow. She was the president of Wellesley College from 1949 to 1966.
During her presidency, she was able to make many improvements to the college campus by increasing the number of faculty members and increasing financial aid for students. Other accomplishments during her tenure included the construction and remodeling of major campus buildings and increasing the college endowment fund.
After her presidency, she moved to India in order to experience a new culture, stating that living in a different country with a different culture gave her a new perspective on her own culture. During her time there, she became the Minister Counselor of Public Affairs for the United States Embassy, becoming the first woman to hold such a position. In addition, she was the chief cultural officer for the United States Information Service India for three years. She was also the principal of the Lady Doak College in Madurai for two years. She stayed in India until 1971, when she returned to her Berkshire home to retire.