Lida Myrtle Williams

Born in Iowa in 1877, Lida Myrtle Williams was an American educator and author whose surviving books point to a career centered on classroom teaching and teacher support. Public records commonly list her lifespan as 1877 to 1968, and library catalogs identify her as the author of instructional works published in the early 1900s.

Williams is best known for How to Teach Phonics, a guide for primary-grade reading instruction that was later preserved by Project Gutenberg. She is also credited with Picture Studies from Great Artists, showing that her interests reached beyond phonics into broader educational and cultural teaching materials.

Although detailed biographical information appears to be scarce online, the books themselves suggest a practical writer focused on helping teachers turn big ideas into everyday lessons. Her reputation today rests mainly on these durable classroom texts, which continue to circulate through library catalogs and digital archives.