Jessie Forshee, Colorado's First High School Graduate

Jessie Forshee, who would be the first high school graduate in Colorado, was born on July 16, 1858. She and her parents moved from Montezuma, Cayuga County, in New York to Denver City in 1873. She enrolled at St. Mary's Academy and on June 30, 1875, was awarded the first high school diploma in the Colorado Territory.

In the early days of St. Mary's Academy, the girls were educated in arts, sciences, and foreign language. The scope of education at St. Mary’s Academy can be seen in the quality of the annual exhibition, the ceremony during which Jessie graduated and received a gold medal. According to the July 1, 1875 issue of the Rocky Mountain News, during the ceremony the names of the 240 students (40 boarders and 200 day students) and the studies they were pursuing were read aloud to an audience which included civic and church dignitaries.

Jessie joined the Sisters of Loretto immediately after graduation and through this association was able to make significant contributions as a teacher and mentor. Jessie earned a master’s of arts degree in 1913 at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and a music degree from the Chicago Conservatory. She served as dean of Webster College in St. Louis and taught at Loretto Heights College as well as other Loretto schools in El Paso and Kansas City. She died on June 18, 1937, as a result of complications from a broken hip following a long and full life.

(Photos: Sisters and students; Jessie Forshee)