Introduction

Biography

Selina was the daugh­ter of Will­iam Pearce, who im­mi­grat­ed from Eng­land in 1842, and was a Bap­tist min­is­ter in Ma­ri­et­ta, Ohio.

She was edu­cat­ed in the pub­lic schools in Ma­ri­et­ta, and sub­se­quent­ly in the Young La­dies’ In­sti­tute at Gran­ville, Ohio, where she gra­du­at­ed in 1864.

She taught at least ele­ven years, in­clud­ing seven at Al­mi­ra Col­lege, Green­ville, Il­li­nois (1872–79). In 1881, she be­came a high school prin­ci­pal in Ma­ri­et­ta.