8 8 0 ▁— ▁April ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 7 8 ), ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁Kate ▁C . ▁S . ▁Corn ell , ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁artist ▁and ▁arts ▁educ ator . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁teacher ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁Pacific ▁North west ▁College ▁of ▁Art ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁organized ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Kate ▁Camer on ▁Sim m ons ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Saint ▁Thomas , ▁U . S . ▁Virgin ▁Islands ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁diplom at ▁Wal dem ar ▁Mo e ▁Sim m ons ▁and ▁Mary ▁E . ▁Lang th or ne ▁Sim m ons . ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁also ▁born ▁on ▁Saint ▁Thomas . ▁She ▁graduated ▁from ▁Miss ▁Whit comb ' s ▁Sem inary ▁for ▁Young ▁Lad ies , ▁in ▁Brook lyn . ▁She ▁earned ▁degrees ▁from ▁Columbia ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁and ▁from ▁Pr att ▁Institute , ▁with ▁training ▁as ▁both ▁a ▁teacher ▁and ▁an ▁artist . ▁ ▁Career ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁Sim m ons ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁Port land ▁Art ▁Association ▁to ▁help ▁cur ator ▁Anna ▁Belle ▁Cro cker ▁organ ize ▁the ▁Art ▁School ▁of ▁Port land ▁( now ▁Pacific ▁North west ▁College ▁of ▁Art ). ▁Sim m ons ▁was ▁the ▁school ' s ▁first ▁teacher . ▁Her ▁sal ary ▁was ▁under written ▁by ▁arts ▁patron ▁Julia ▁Christians en ▁Hoff man . ▁ ▁Sim m ons