Martha Foote Crow was born in
Sackets Harbor, New York, to Reverend John B. and Mary Pendexter (Stilphen) Foote on May 28, 1854. In 1872, while studying at
Syracuse University, she was one of the founding members of the sorority
Alpha Phi. She earned a
Ph.B. in 1876 and
Ph.M. in 1878, and finally her
Ph.D. in English literature in 1886, all at Syracuse. In 1885, she married John M. Crow, an archaeologist. While at Iowa College, she participated in the work of the
Association of Collegiate Alumnae, coordinating an international survey of women's higher education. She also served as the Association's President from 1893 to 1895. Upon her husband's death from
tuberculosis in 1891, Martha Foote Crow left Grinnell to become assistant professor of English literature at the
University of Chicago. In 1900, she became Dean of Women at
Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, she participated in the formation of an association of deans of women, organizing the 1903 Conference of Deans of Women of the Middle West. On January 1, 1924, Martha Foote Crow died in
Chicago, Illinois. ==Publications==