educational pioneers Archives

The Mother of Ripon College was a Botanist: The Inspiring True Story of Clarissa Tracy

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 12, 1818 On this day, Clarissa Tucker Tracy, a passionate botanist and the Mother of Ripon (RIP-un) College, is born. Clarissa was a remarkable woman who found her life’s purpose in both…

A Gentle Voice from the Garden: Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 8, 1922 On this day, as the last mountain ash berries gleam against pewter skies, we remember Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald, whose poetic voice still echoes through the gardens of Maritime Canada. Today…

The Black Rose: Mary McLeod Bethune’s Educational Garden

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 18, 1955 On this day, we bid farewell to Mary McLeod Bethune (books about this person), an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist whose life bloomed from the most…