Kate Gannett Wells

Kate Gannett Wells (born Catherine Boott Gannett; April 6, 1838 – December 13, 1911) was an American writer and social reformer, and a prominent member of the anti-suffragist movement in the United States. Wells served on the Massachusetts Board of Education for twenty-four years beginning in 1888 and was a vice president of the New England Women's Club. She also published several books, including the novel In the Clearings and the nonfiction work Campobello: An Historical Sketch.

Early life and education Wells born in London, England, on April 6, 1838. Her parents, Anna Tilden Gannett and Ezra Stiles Gannett, a prominent Unitarian minister, were both American, but were staying in England to facilitate her father's medical treatment. Wells was reportedly named for her father's doctor, a Dr. Boott, and her mother's sister, Catherine Tilden.

On her father's side, Wells was descended from the early New England colonist Mary Chilton and former Yale College President Ezra Stiles. The financial stability of the marriage allowed Wells to pursue a career in philanthropy, activism, and literature. . The library is the 2nd oldest public library in Canada .

In 1888, Wells was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Education by then-governor Oliver Ames. She served on the board for three eight-year terms.

Literary career Wells' novel Little Dick's Son (1901) was reportedly inspired by her own family life. and published several essays in The Atlantic.

List of fiction works

In the Clearings (1884) The Transitional American Woman (1880) An Old New England Divine (1884) The Quoddy Hermit (1885) About People (1885) Campobello: An Historical Sketch (about the history of Campobello Island) Child Study for Mothers and Teachers (1901, co-written by Charlotte Brewster Jordan, Lucy Wheelock, Emilie Poulsson, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Nora Archibald Smith, and Margaret Elizabeth Sangster)