Wergeland, Agnes Mathilde, 1857-1914

Dr. Agnes Mathilde Wergeland, University of Wyoming professor of history, was born May 8 or 9, 1857, in Christiana, Norway. Her early life was spent studying in Norwegian schools where she was, briefly, the student of composer Edward Grieg. From 1884 to 1886 she was a pupil of G. Konrad von Maurer in Munich, Germany. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, in 1890, becoming the first Norwegian woman to receive a doctor's degree. After coming to the United States in 1890, Wergeland held several teaching jobs, including positions at Bryn Mawr, the University of Illinois, and the University of Chicago. In 1902 Wergeland came to the University of Wyoming, where she taught courses in history, French, Spanish, and political economy. Wergeland's talents included writing poetry, sketching, and playing the piano. For eight years she lived with her close friend and colleague Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard, in a home known to students and faculty as "The Doctors' Inn." She died 6 March 1914 in Laramie at the age of 56.

From the guide to the Agnes Mathilde Wergeland papers, 1882-1916, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)

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