BRIEFER ARTICLES 
SUSAN MARIA HALLOWELL 
(WITH PORTRAIT) 
Susan M. HaLLowE tt was born in Bangor, Maine, on August 25, 
1835, and died December 15, torr, at Wellesley, Massachusetts. From 
childhood Miss HALLowett loved study and was a lover of nature. 
She began her profession of teaching as soon as she was graduated from 
the high school. At that 
time institutions for the 
higher education of 
women were unknown. 
For more than twenty 
years she taught in the 
Bangor high school, con- 
tinuing, as best she could, 
her self-education. But 
her thirst for knowledge 
could not be thus slaked. 
She longed to come into 
touch with the great 
masters of thought, and 
so, while still a teacher in 
the high school, she 
found her way into the 
laboratories of AGassiz 
andof Asa Gray. These 
educators recognized the 
rare genius and power of 
this young woman, and : 
it was through their recommendations that, in 1875, she was appointed 
Professor of Natural History in Wellesley College almost before the 
corner-stone of the first building of the new college was laid. 
With that indefatigable zeal so characteristic of her whole life, she 
began the work in preparation for the new position. She went from 
college to college, from university to university, studying the scientific 
libraries and laboratories. At the close of this investigation she 
345] [Botanical Gazette, vol. 53 
