Anne Theresa Dunphy was a beloved teacher and principal at Williamsburg High School for decades. The Haydenville native, was born in 1890 to a factory-working family, attended the town schools and was a member of the Smith College, Class of 1913. After graduation, Miss Dunphy returned to Williamsburg to teach high school Latin. In 1918 she became the high school principal, at the young age of twenty-eight, and persevered in that post until her death in 1956. With her 38 years of service, she was one of the longest serving principals in the state. Miss Dunphy was known for her outstanding educational achievements, her unwavering dedication to her students and her belief in inspiring her students to seek the higher education opportunities she so fervently believed in. She herself continued her own education, earning a master’s degree in classics. Miss Dunphy believed in education.
Anne T. Dunphy inspired her students, and they remembered her all their lives. The 1939 Williamsburg High School yearbook, “The Tattler” was dedicated to Miss Dunphy, honoring her for 25 years of teaching, as was the 1956 yearbook in commemoration of her life. She will never be forgotten in Williamsburg. The town’s elementary school bears her name—adding another honor to this beloved teacher who dedicated her life to public education. The original Anne T. Dunphy school opened in September 1955, just a few months before she passed away. The newly renovated and expanded Anne T. Dunphy School built and opened in 2014, still bears her name.
Do you or a family member have a memory of Miss Dunphy? Read Ralmon Jon Black’s moving tribute to Anne T. Dunphy, which inspired this post.
Posted to Facebook 8/29/2024
