Marie Duclos Fretageot

Pioneer Educator and Community Leader

Madame Marie Duclos Fretageot (1779-1833) was a French educator and pioneering advocate of progressive education who brought Pestalozzian teaching methods to America, emphasizing hands-on learning and respect for children's natural development.

At New Harmony, Madame Fretageot directed the school system and trained teachers in these revolutionary approaches, making the community an important center for educational reform in the 1820s. As one of William Maclure's closest collaborators, she helped establish a model for child-centered education that influenced American pedagogy long after the New Harmony utopian experiment ended.

Learn about her life and explore her legacy here.