Career
Lizzie Pitts Merrill Palmer was the only child of Charles Merrill a lumber owner and Frances (Pitts) Merrill. In 1893 Lizzie and Thomas donated land to Detroit that became Palmer Park. After her husband"s death in 1913 Mistress
Palmer devoted herself to founding, endowing and maintaining a school to be known as the Merrill-Palmer Motherhood and Home Training School.
The School was established in 1920 in Freer House to serve Detroit’s children through formal academic programs in infant, toddler, child and adolescent development, and in family functioning. In 1980 the School was incorporated into Wayne State University.
lieutenant is now known as the Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute.