author
Alice Freeman Palmer
1855–1902
A pioneering American educator, she helped shape women’s higher education at a crucial moment in its history. Best known for leading Wellesley College while still very young, she combined high standards with a strong belief in women’s intellectual ambition.
2 Audiobooks
Why Go to College? An Address
by Alice Freeman Palmer
The Teacher: Essays and Addresses on Education
by George Herbert Palmer, Alice Freeman Palmer
About the author
Born in Colesville, New York, in 1855, Alice Freeman Palmer became one of the most influential educators of her era. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1876 and quickly built a reputation as a gifted teacher and academic leader.
She is best known for serving as president of Wellesley College from 1881 to 1887, where her leadership left a lasting mark on the school’s academic life and direction. After leaving Wellesley, she married Harvard professor George Herbert Palmer and later served as dean of women at the newly founded University of Chicago.
Remembered for her energy, intelligence, and commitment to expanding opportunities for women, she played an important part in the growth of higher education in the United States. She died in Paris in 1902, but her influence on women’s education continued long after her lifetime.