The school was founded by Fidelia Fisk and the American Presbyterian Mission (also known as the Presbyterian Mission Agency) under the name the Urmia Seminary in Urmia,
West Azerbaijan Province, Qajar Iran. The school was modeled after the
Mount Holyoke Seminary. The school played a major pioneer role. In 1883, only one woman in Urmia was literate; but by 1885, 600 girls had learned to read and write at the school. However, similar to the other missionary girls' schools founded in 19th-century Iran, the school was not allowed to accept Muslims girls as students, but could only accept Christian, Zoroastrian or Jewish students until 1906. == See also ==