Oberlin's Women: A Legacy of Leadership & Activism

Alma Gracey Stokey

Alma Gracey Stokey (1877-1968, OC 1904) was an educator and botanist. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1904 with an A.B. in Botany. After graduation, Stokey became a research assistant in the botany department at Oberlin College until 1906. She continued her education at the University of Chicago where she completed a Ph.D in 1908. That same year Stokey began working as a botany instructor at Mount Holyoke College. By 1916 she became a full professor and the chairman of the botany department at Mount Holyoke. Passionate about furthering the study of botany, she took a two-year leave of absence from 1929 to 1931 to organize the botany department at the Women’s Christian College in Madras, India. After returning to the United States, Stokey continued teaching at Mount Holyoke College until her retirement in 1942. Even after retiring, she remained active in her field. She taught briefly at Smith College from 1943 to 1944 and conducted research in her field into the late 1950s. Over the course of her career, she wrote over thirty articles on botany with particular regard to the study of ferns. Stokey became the tenth honorary member of the American Fern Society in 1953. She was the first woman to receive this honor. In 1955, Oberlin College awarded her an honorary Doctor of Science degree for her achievements.

Sources:
Student File (Alma Gracey Stokes), Alumni & Development Records, O.C.A.

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