Sherman, Althea R. (Althea Rosina), 1853-1943

Ornithologist, naturalist, artist. Althea Sherman began her career as an art teacher, holding a bachelors and a masters degree in art from Oberlin College. In 1895, at the age of 42, she left her job and returned to National, Iowa to care for her elderly parents. She remained at the family homestead for the rest of her life and became an observer of the natural world outside her door, particularly the activities of the local birds. Although self-taught, she became a leading ornithologist, joined many scientific societies and published extensively in professional journals.

Althea Rosina Sherman was born in 1853. Eight years later her family arrived in northeast Iowa and settled near Farmersburg. She received her B.A. (1875) and M.A. (1882) from Oberlin College, in art. During that time she also studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. After receiving her master's degree, Sherman taught art at Carleton College and was supervisor of art in the Tacoma, Washington, schools.

Sherman was a self-taught ornithologist, but it wasn't until she was over fifty years of age that she fully immersed herself in the study of birds. She moved back to the family homestead in 1895 to take care of her ailing parents. After her parents' deaths, she began recording observations of birds on her farm. She eventually filled 60 notebooks with meticulous observations, joined 15 scientific societies, and wrote numerous papers for professional journals. Sherman became a leading ornithologist in her day despite having no formal scientific training.

Birds of an Iowa Dooryard (call no. QL684.I6 S5) was published after her death in 1943. The book includes Sherman's observations on the chimney swift, phoebe, house wren, short-billed march wren, catbird, screech owl, flicker, and several other species of bird.