Semple, Ellen Churchill, 1863-1932

Geographer, writer, teacher.

Born in Louisville in 1863, Semple attended Vasser graduating in 1883. She spent some years teaching in Louisville while studying independently for a Master's Degree, which she received from Vasser in 1891. She then studied at the University of Leipzig under the renowned Friedrich Ratzel, 1891-1892, the only female student among five hundred men. After leaving Leipzig, Semple published numerous articles in scholarly journals, mainly on the subject of anthrogeography, the study of the effect of geographic conditions on the history of mankind. After publishing her first book in 1903, Semple continued to write and to travel in order to conduct research, in addition to holding lectureships at the University of Chicago, Wellesley, and the University of California at Los Angeles. She joined the faculty of Clark University in 1921 where she taught until 1928.