Origins & Early Life

Alice Freeman Palmer (born Alice Elvira Freeman; February 21, 1855 – December 6, 1902) was an American educator. As Alice Freeman, she was president of Wellesley College from 1881 to 1887, when she left to marry the Harvard professor George Herbert Palmer. From 1892 to 1895 she was dean of women at the newly founded University of Chicago. She was an advocate for college education for women, improving their opportunities to attend college through improved college preparation, sponsorship, public lectures, and in her role in many education organizations.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She was co-founder and president of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, which later became the American Association of University Women. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. She called for women to attain a college education so that if they needed to support themselves, they would have the necessary skills to do so. She is seen as the model New Woman of the 19th century. Alice Elvira Freeman was born in Colesville, New York, as the eldest child of four children of Elizabeth Josephine Higley and James Warren Freeman.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

From her father, she acquired her "moral beauty", as well as her height and...

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