Henry Fowle Durant


Henry Fowle Durant was an American lawyer and philanthropist, as well as the co-founder, with Pauline Durant, of Wellesley College.

Early life and career

Durant was born in Hanover, New Hampshire as Henry Wells Smith. He changed his name to Henry Fowle Durant to avoid confusion with a local businessman.
Durant completed his studies in Harvard Law School at Harvard University in 1841. He subsequently practiced in Boston.
Durant married his cousin, Pauline Adeline Durant, in 1855. The couple went on to have two children, Henry “Harry” Fowle Durant and Pauline Cazenove Durant. Both children died in early childhood.
After the death of his son, Harry, Durant underwent a religious conversion and became a lay preacher in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, practicing from 1864 to 1875.
In 1870, Durant and Pauline contributed between one and two million dollars to found Wellesley College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Durant, a staunch believer in female education, famously said, “Women can do the work. I give them the chance.”
He died from Bright's Disease at the age of 59.