Lida Myrtle Williams

Born on February 23, 1877, in Marshalltown, Iowa, Lida Myrtle Williams was an American educator and author whose surviving books point to a strong interest in teaching methods. She is most closely associated with How to Teach Phonics, a classroom guide first published in the 1910s and later preserved by Project Gutenberg, where it remains available to modern readers.

Williams also wrote Picture Studies from Great Artists, showing that her work reached beyond reading instruction into art appreciation for students. Together, these books suggest a teacher focused on clear, usable lessons rather than theory for its own sake.

Although detailed biographical information about her life is limited in the sources available online, genealogical records indicate that she lived from 1877 to 1968. What stands out most today is the practical spirit of her writing: straightforward, instructional, and shaped by the everyday needs of the classroom.