Archives and Special Collections

Hattie Marie Corrin Strong, 1864-1950, was born in South Coventry, Connecticut, educated in private schools, and enjoyed a comfortable existence until the business recession of 1877 when the family into hard times. She married Lester B. Lockwood in 1888, moved to Tacoma in the Washington territory, had her only child, and saw her marriage end. Needing to support her son, she moved with a friend to find their fortune in Skagway, Alaska, during the Alaskan Gold Rush. After three years, health issues resulted in her returning to Tacoma and eventually California with a milder climate. She married Henry Alvah Strong, co-founder and first president of what is now the Eastman Kodak Company, whom she had first met in Tacoma. Quite a bit older than Hattie, their marriage was a happy one, and he legally adopted her son. Her life having gone from comfort to rags to riches, she dedicated her life after Henry's passing to helping others less fortunate than herself. The constant theme which ran through all her philanthropic activities was the desire to help people help themselves. She disliked the word "charity" and constantly stressed the value of work, dedication, and strength of character. She established the Hattie M. Strong Foundation in 1928. She died June 6, 1960 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina