Anna Jane McKeag (1864–1947), was an American PhD psychologist who was a university professor and the first woman president of Wilson College.

Life and work

McKeag was born March 13, 1864, in

West Finley, Pennsylvania West Finley Township is a township in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 813 at the 2020 census. History The Crawford Covered Bridge, Danley Covered Bridge, Erskine Covered Bridge, and Longdon L. Miller Cov ...

. In her early years, she taught school (1881–1892) while also teaching philosophy at Wilson College, an all women's institution in

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, in the South Central Pennsylvania, South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Gre ...

. In 1895, she earned her AB at Wilson College and five years later she was awarded her PhD at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

(1900). Then she was a professor of philosophy and dean of Wilson College until 1902 when she was lured to

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

by trustees there. McKeag was still a professor of education at Wellesley when she was asked to take on the presidency of Wilson College in 1911 (assuming her duties in February 1912). According to the College, "she became the first woman president (1911–15), ndstrengthened the College’s academic standards." After three years as head of Wilson College, McKeag returned to Wellesley where she taught until her retirement. She died in

Wellesley, Massachusetts Wellesley () is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Wellesley is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 29,550 at the time of the 2020 census. Wellesley College, Babson College, and a campus of M ...

, and her gravestone can be found in Washington Cemetery in

Washington, Pennsylvania Washington, also known as Little Washington to distinguish it from the District of Columbia, is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

Memberships

* American Psychological Association * National Society of College Teachers of Education * New England Society of College Teachers of Education * National Executive Committee of the School Peace League

Selected publications

* McKeag, A. J. (1879). In the brave old days of old – A tale of roman times, Washington, PA, Will T. Creigh's Print * McKeag, A. J. (1902). ''The sensation of pain and the theory of the specific sense energies'' (Vol. 2). Ginn. (dissertation) * McKeag, A. J., Urban, F. M., & Cornman, O. P. (1902). ''Spelling in the Elementary School: An Experimental and Statistical Investigation'' (No. 3). Ginn. * McKeag, A. J. (1931). The principles of education. * McKeag, A. J. (1938). ''Edna Virginia Moffett''. (Wellesley magazine: an alumnae publication, 22, 4, 296-298.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKeag, Anna J. 1864 births 1947 deaths Wilson College (Pennsylvania) alumni Wilson College (Pennsylvania) faculty University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education alumni Wellesley College faculty Wilson College (Pennsylvania)