Helen Magill White

Helen Magill White was an American academic and instructor. She holds the distinction as the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in the United States.

She was born Helen Magill in Providence, Rhode Island, to Edward Hicks Magill and his wife. Theirs was a Quaker family. Helen was brought up to believe that she deserved the same education as a man. In 1859, the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where Helen enrolled as the only female student in the Boston Public Latin School. Her father taught French and Latin there for three years, and he was promoted to submaster.

Source: Wikipedia