Louise Pound: The 19th Century Iconoclast Who Forever Changed America's Views about Women, Academics and Sports

Challenging the social norms of the Victorian age, iconoclast Louise Pound defied America's prevailing views on female roles, academic sexism, and women in sports. Epitomizing the turn-of-the-century "New Woman," she was a world-class athlete in both tennis and golf, often winning matches against her male contemporaries. She is recognized for having laid the social groundwork for subsequent female athletes like "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias. She defied institutional sexism and traveled to Germany to obtain a Ph.D., which she earned in only one year. Upon returning to the states, she became a world-renowned philologist, American folklorist and educator. She was the first to establish American English as a distinct language from that spoken in Great Britain. Academicians have long recognized Louise Pound's legacy as a pioneer in women's sports, and for her lasting impact on American culture and language. This meticulously researched biography is almost a decade in the making, and will establish Louise Pound among the most influential women pioneers.