▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁S ett lement s ▁Association . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Clara ▁French ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁July ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁in ▁Sy rac use , ▁New ▁York . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁living ▁daughter ▁of ▁John ▁H . ▁French ▁( 1 8 2 4 – 1 8 8 8 ), ▁LL . ▁D ., ▁an ▁educ ator , ▁and ▁Mary ▁E . ▁W ash burn ▁( 1 8 2 6 – 1 9 0 5 ). ▁Before ▁she ▁was ▁four ▁years ▁old , ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Alb any , ▁New ▁York . ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁seven ▁they ▁went ▁to ▁Bur ling ton , ▁Verm ont . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁four teen , ▁she ▁assist ed ▁in ▁class ifying ▁and ▁arr anging ▁the ▁cabinet ▁in ▁the ▁Mans field , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁Normal ▁School . ▁Her ▁interest ▁in ▁this ▁subject ▁grew ▁stead ily . ▁Her ▁collection ▁had ▁become ▁quite ▁large ▁before ▁she ▁entered ▁college . ▁A ▁significant ▁period ▁in ▁Clara ' s ▁life ▁was ▁spent ▁at ▁Indiana , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁where ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁Here ▁she ▁prepared ▁for ▁college ▁in ▁the ▁Normal ▁School ▁of ▁which ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁principal . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁Bur ling ton , ▁where ▁she ▁took ▁her ▁F resh man ▁year ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Verm ont . ▁During ▁this ▁year ▁she ▁was ▁confirmed ▁in ▁the ▁Epis cop al ▁Church , ▁of