Mary Frances Linder Fitzpatrick

Mary Frances Linder Fitzpatrick (1861–1955) was an American botanist.

Early life and education Mary Frances Linder was born in September 1861, one of ten children of Anton and Katherine Linder. She attended public school in Iowa City. She graduated from the State University of Iowa and wrote one of the university's first bachelor's theses, "A Brief Description of Nine Species of Hepaticae Found in the Vicinity of Iowa City" in 1886. Per botanist Diana Horton, this was likely done under the guidance of Prof. Thomas MacBride. In addition to being a student, she was employed as a botany assistant at the University of Iowa in 1889 and 1890. Ms. Linder was listed as a botany instructor in the Pharmaceutical Department and she did some post-graduate work in Bonn, Germany. The duo began their married life teaching at Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa.

Employment and botany Now going by her married name, Fitzpatrick taught German and French from 1897 to 1900 and again from 1908 to 1912 at Graceland. Her spouse taught several science courses, was the college's first librarian, and performed a number of administrative duties. but the family moved to Nebraska in 1913, when T.J. accepted a professorship at Cotner College in Lincoln. He then moved on to a position as botany professor and curator of the herbarium at the University of Nebraska in 1918. Thomas remained at the University of Nebraska, until his retirement in 1949. but the majority of their research was plant oriented. They collaborated on several publications dealing with Iowa's flora.

Collecting and selling books The Fitzpatricks had a sideline pursuit as book collectors and sellers. Though Thomas may have been the primary motivator in that arena, Fitzpatrick was involved in the endeavor as evidenced by the fact that "Library of T. J. Fitzpatrick; M. F. L. Fitzpatrick" was the bookplate affixed to volumes in their collection.

Children and final years The Fitzpatricks had three children: Frederick, Lilian, and Dethen. Frederick earned a degree from the University of Iowa and ultimately retained a professorship in natural science at Columbia University in New York. Lilian earned her M.A. in 1923 from the University of Nebraska and subsequently began a doctoral program at Cornell University. She contracted tuberculosis during her Ph.D. program and perished in 1935 prior to completing her research. Following his father's death in 1952, Frederick helped resettle his mother with family members in Iowa City until her death on April 24, 1955.