Dear Winifred (Winnie) Taft,

Your influence on the formative years of the Taft School has not gone unrecognized. You began as a young yet ambitious teacher, spending several years teaching at the New Haven High School after traveling and learning in Europe. When your husband founded a prep school in Watertown, you went out of your way to create a sense of community, laying the foundation for the defining characteristic of the Taft school. Throwing parties, hosting readings, and entertaining old connections, were some of the activities you loved most. You challenged the students to participate in the greater Watertown community every Sunday, attending the local Episcopal Church with the boys. You facilitated a relationship between Taft and St. Margaret's School for Girls, valuing social interaction and listening to the requests of your students. You hosted beautiful and plentiful dinners in your home, determined to make the boys feel they belonged. You pushed students to their full potential, perfecting the balance of sternness and empathy. You had a love of literature and music and joined the all-female "Sexta Fiera" group that was interested in "intellectual pursuit." You published papers, and you devoured books. You appreciated others' work just as much as your own. Thank you, Winnie, for shaping Taft into the institution we know, love, and cherish today. Though your life wasn't long enough, your legacy will last forever.

Sincerely,

The Female Entrepreneur Fellowship