A Lesser Mortal: The Unexpected Life of Sarah B. Cochran by Kimberly Hess
Thanks to Jackie Karneth of Books Forward, I am giving away one print copy of ‘A Lesser Mortal’ by Kimberly Hess.
Description Lesser Mortal by Kimberly Hess
This wonderful biography brings to life Sarah B. Cochran, a philanthropist, college trustee, and coal industry executive in the early 1900s. Like her contemporaries, including philanthropists Phoebe Hearst, Olivia Sage, and Jane Stanford, Sarah inherited a fortune that she used to better her community. Kimberly Hess masterfully explores the many facets of her life, helping us to understand Sarah’s transformation after the death of her husband and son, and her powerful use of philanthropy to advance the causes she believed deeply in.
–Joan Marie Johnson, author of Funding Feminism: Philanthropy, Monied Women, and the Women’s Rights Movement
Sarah B. Cochran probably didn’t expect to own businesses that competed with Henry Clay Frick’s or to exceed Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropic giving in certain circles. But when her husband and son died suddenly, she had to take over the family coal and coke business at a time when it was illegal, and some thought unlucky, for women to work in or around coal mines. Rather than retreating from the world, from her forties through her seventies she engaged with it through philanthropic activity that shifted power, championed others and influenced causes.
Today, her contributions can be difficult to identify without already knowing they exist. This book is an introduction to Sarah’s story for academics, genealogists, history buffs and those interested in sharing stories of other “lesser mortals” who created significant changes but remain largely unknown.
Praise Lesser Mortal by Kimberly Hess
“The story of Sarah Cochran is a quiet surprise for anyone who cares about philanthropy today. Her life is an inspiration showing the lasting good that comes from regional philanthropy and from major donors who are not, what we would call today, “mega-donors.” It’s also a testament to the ongoing generosity of women, who tend to give more quietly, but no less impactfully than their male peers.”-Dara Weinerman Steinberg, Philanthropic Advisor
“Congratulations to Kimberly Hess for rendering the invisible visible. Cochran’s name adorns college buildings, churches, and even a fraternity house but, until Hess’ prodigious research, few today could appreciate her philanthropic leadership and activism for the causes she believed in.” -Andrea Pactor, Retired, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy “This book is an important addition to industrial history and the history of southwestern Pennsylvania. Elevating Sarah’s story and achievements helps us to remember that while men like Carnegie and Frick were the titans of industry in their day, strong women like Sarah were advancing right alongside them.”-Amanda Peters, Coal and Coke Heritage Center, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
“A faithful telling of an extraordinary life, A Lesser Mortal reveals our power to contribute despite barriers of loss, circumstance, and others’ estimations of our worth.”-Katie Burke, author of Urban Playground: What Kids Say About Living in San Francisco
About Kimberly Hess
KIMBERLY HESS: During her business career of nearly twenty years, Kimberly Hess served in volunteer leadership roles at the global and local levels for Smith College’s Alumnae Association and Office of Admission, and she was a trustee of the Alice Paul Institute and a board member of the Chubb Partnership of Women. Her writing has appeared on the websites of Thrive Global, the National Women’s History Museum and the Forté Foundation, as well as on the blogs of the Women’s Museum of California and the David Library of the American Revolution.
She has a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from Smith College, an M.B.A. in Marketing from Rutgers Business School, and a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University. An avid genealogist and traveler, she lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.
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Giveaway Lesser Mortal by Kimberly Hess
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