Alice Freeman Palmer

Alice Freeman Palmer (1855–1902) was an American educator and writer known for her leadership in women’s higher education. Raised in Michigan, she studied at the University of Michigan and began teaching while still a student. In 1877 she joined Wellesley College, and in 1881 became its president, guiding the young institution through a period of rapid growth and strengthening its academic standards. After stepping down in 1887, she continued to lecture and write on education and women’s opportunities. She later served as dean of the women’s department at the University of Chicago. Palmer married philosopher George Herbert Palmer in 1886.