The Coal & Coke Queen of Connellsville

This program was previously scheduled for October 7 but was rescheduled for October 23.

Sarah B. Cochran probably didn’t expect to own businesses that competed with Henry Clay Frick’s or to exceed Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropic giving in certain circles. But when her husband and son died suddenly, she had to take over the family coal and coke business at a time when it was illegal, and some thought unlucky, for women to work in or around coal mines. 

Rather than retreating from the world, from her forties through her seventies she engaged through philanthropic activity and suffrage activism that shifted power, championed others and influenced causes. But even today her contributions can be difficult to identify without already knowing they exist. 

Kimberly Hess wrote Cochran’s first biography and will share an overview of Sarah’s life and accomplishments that include being a trustee of three colleges, a fraternity house namesake, and builder of two National Register-listed structures in Fayette County. 

Kimberly Hess is the author of A Lesser Mortal: The Unexpected Life of Sarah B. Cochran. She earned a B.A. in Economics and International Relations at Smith College, an M.B.A. from Rutgers Business School, and a Certificate in Historic Preservation from Drew University’s Caspersen School of Graduate Studies. During her nineteen-year corporate career she was also a trustee of the Alice Paul Institute and held volunteer leadership positions for nonprofits at the global and local levels. She has written about or discussed her book for various organizations including WESA 90.5FM, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Women’s History Museum, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Heinz History Center. She began doing genealogical research in 1984. 

This program is offered live via Zoom. The presenter will not be at the library but you can join us to watch in the Reading Room or watch from home.