8 8 7 ) ▁was ▁an ▁Irish ▁nun ▁who ▁founded ▁the ▁Catholic ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁Sister s ▁of ▁Char ity ▁of ▁the ▁B less ed ▁Virgin ▁Mary . ▁Initial ly ▁started ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁to ▁provide ▁educational ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁imm igr ants ' ▁children , ▁the ▁order ▁re located ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁to ▁Dub u que , ▁Iowa , ▁and ▁established ▁pra irie ▁schools ▁across ▁the ▁high ▁pla ins . ▁One ▁of ▁those ▁initial ▁schools ▁later ▁became ▁Clar ke ▁University . ▁She ▁was ▁post hum ously ▁induct ed ▁into ▁the ▁Iowa ▁Women ' s ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Mary ▁Frances ▁Clar ke ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁at ▁the ▁St . ▁Andrew ' s ▁Chap el ▁on ▁Town send ▁Street ▁in ▁Dublin , ▁Ireland . ▁Her ▁parents ▁were ▁Mary ▁Anne ▁( née ▁Qu arter master ) ▁and ▁Corn el ius ▁Clar ke . ▁Att ending ▁a ▁pen ny ▁school , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁week ly ▁price ▁paid ▁for ▁basic ▁elementary ▁education ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁char ity ▁or ▁church ▁school , ▁Clar ke ▁learned ▁bot any , ▁music , ▁need le work ▁and ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁write . ▁She ▁later ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁secretary ▁and ▁book keeper ▁for ▁her ▁father ' s ▁le ather ▁business . ▁When ▁the ▁pl ague ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁Dublin , ▁Clar ke ▁and ▁several ▁friends ▁moved ▁into ▁a ▁sl um ▁area ▁on ▁North ▁Anne ▁Street ▁in ▁Dublin ▁and