Fayetteville Female Seminary

Fayetteville Female Seminary, established in 1839 by Sophia Sawyer, was a school for girls in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It offered quality education for both white and Cherokee women at a time when women's access to schooling was limited and segregated schooling was common. While the seminary operated only from 1839 to 1862, its legacy is often linked to the decision to establish the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. A historical marker commemorates its history. Walter J. Lemke's drawings of the school and Sawyer were printed in a newspaper.