Alice L. Kibbe

Who was Alice L. Kibbe?

Dr. Alice L. Kibbe was an American botanist, and Professor and Chair of Biology at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois from 1920 to 1956. She was noted in the region as a natural historian, philanthropist and traveler, and for her role as an early female academic leader. When Carthage College relocated in 1964, Dr. Kibbe returned to her native state of Washington, dedicating much of her local property to public use. Her donation of a wooded tract on the Mississippi River near Warsaw, Illinois formed the core of the 7-square-kilometer Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Research Station, operated by Western Illinois University. Dr. Kibbe's extensive personal natural history collections are housed in the Kibbe Hancock Heritage Museum in Carthage.