One of the original hires at Brookside School by Headmistress Jessie Winter, Dorothy French became an educational symbol for years to come.

French attended the National College of Education in Chicago and earned a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska Wesleyan and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

She arrived at Brookside in 1926 to teach the second grade, and was later the faculty overseer of the weekly Friday chapel program.

French had a strong connection with the students and faculty and held an avid interest in the history of Cranbrook.