Elizabeth Kimball Kendall

Born in Middlebury, Vermont, in 1855, Elizabeth Kimball Kendall was an American historian, teacher, and travel writer. She spent much of her career at Wellesley College as a professor of history and political science, building a reputation as a serious scholar as well as a clear, engaging writer.

Kendall is especially remembered for the journeys that shaped her travel books. In 1911 she crossed parts of China and Mongolia, and that experience led to A Wayfarer in China (1913), a lively account of landscapes, people, and daily life as she encountered them. Her work often reflects both an academic eye for detail and the excitement of someone eager to see the wider world firsthand.

After retiring from Wellesley in 1920, she continued teaching and living abroad for periods of time, including in Beijing. She died in 1952, leaving behind writing that captures a moment when long-distance travel was difficult, rare, and full of discovery.