Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps

Almira Lincoln Phelps (; July 15, 1793 – July 15, 1884) was an American scientist, educator, author, and editor. Her botany writings influenced more early American women to be botanists, including Eunice Newton Foote and her daughter, Augusta Newton Foote Arnold. Though she primarily wrote about nature, she also wrote novels, essays, and memoirs.

Phelps was a native of Connecticut. Her long and active life was devoted to the education of young women. She published several popular science textbooks in the fields of botany, chemistry, and geology. Her mother, Lydia, took interest in anatomy, examining the animals she cooked and thereby developing a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.

While living with her sister, she was also mentored by John Willard and three of his fellow students, who also came to live in the Willard household. She studied mathematics and philosophy. Young men from Middlebury College often boarded with the Willards, or in homes nearby, while they were attending college.

While teaching at Troy, her interest in science increased, and her botanical career began under the influence of Amos Eaton. As a teacher, Almira noticed the lack of scientific books that catered to beginning college students and was determined to remedy the issue. She sought to write a textbook that was easy to understand, thereby making it easier for young academics, particularly young women, to study the sciences. While Almira taught at the Troy Seminary, scientific study became a popular subject. She led her students in botanical field research in the vicinity of the seminary, and those who attended her lectures were excited about botany. Phelps's textbooks were used in several of the classes. John Phelps considered Dr. Cook to be an amiable and courteous man, but unable to run the school properly and with no idea about how to properly educate young women. In the spring of 1839, John Phelps had conditionally leased a building in Philadelphia so that Almira could open her own school. However, Almira refused to leave West Chester. She and John were at an impasse. He believed his strong-willed wife should not be working for anyone else. Almira was concerned about self-financing her own school. Many of the students from West Chester followed her to Rahway. The West Chester School did not survive the split between Almira Phelps and Dr. Cook and closed. None of Almira's stepdaughters taught at Rahway. Eunice married and remained in West Chester; Ann moved to Camden, South Carolina to teach for her sister Stella; and Helen had her own school in Brooklyn, New York.

Patapsco Female Institute Ellicott Mills (now Ellicott City) had both a boys' school, Rock Hill, and a girls' school, the Patapsco Female Institute (PFI). By 1840, neither was doing well. The Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Maryland, William R. Whittingham, had a personal interest in education and became involved in both schools. Rev. Alfred Holmead transferred from Baltimore County to run Rock Hill and Bishop Whittingham. He personally interviewed Almira Phelps to become the principal of the PFI. One of the conditions for her hire was that she had to have a chaplain on the payroll. Rev. Holmead became the first chaplain at PFI. In 1841, the Phelpses closed the Rahway school and took over the PFI on a seven-year lease. Almira Phelps was very hands-on with her students and had a good relationship with them. She emphasized academic achievement to enable young women to support themselves, if necessary, as teachers or governesses. To that end, Almira actively sought positions for her students.

While at PFI, Almira's textbook sales made her a successful author. Her daughter, Jane Lincoln and stepdaughter Helen Phelps helped to edit new editions of her textbooks. The Phelpses renewed their lease in 1848 for another seven years, and John Phelps died in 1849. Almira toured Europe in 1854 and her oldest daughter, Emma Phelps O'Brien, ran the PFI while she was gone. In 1855, her second lease had expired. She stayed on an extra year. The school was expanded so that the student body at the girls' school run in Baltimore by her successor, Robert H. Archer, could be accommodated at PFI.

In 1859, Almira Phelps was the third woman elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. After gaining her membership, she continued to write, lecture, and revise her textbooks until she died in Baltimore on July 15, 1884, her 91st birthday. Dictionary of Chemistry (1830) Botany for Beginners (1831) Geology for Beginners (1832) Female Student; or, Fireside Friend (1833) Chemistry for Beginners (1834) Lectures on Natural Philosophy (1835) Lectures on Chemistry (1837) Natural Philosophy for Beginners (1837) Hours With My Pupils (1869) Caroline Westerly (1833) Ida Norman (1850) Christian Household (1860)