Dora Keen

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Dora Keen (1871- ? ) was an American traveler and Alpinist, also a social and educational worker. She was born in Philadelphia, a daughter of the surgeon W. W. Keen. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College in 1896, she held various responsible positions in Philadelphia, helping to bring about important reforms. In her travels she covered the North American continent from Alaska to Panama, both coasts of South America and the interior of the southern portion, eastern, western, and southern Asia and northern Africa; and she made numerous visits to Europe. Her activity as an Alpinist began with eight ascents of first-class peaks in the Alps in 1909-10. In the midsummer of 1911 her inadequately outfitted expedition, hastily organized for the ascent of Mount Blackburn (16, 140 feet) (4919 m) in Alaska, was unsuccessful; but returning early in 1912, with only local prospectors for companions, she accomplished the first ascent of this sub-Arctic peak. Out of 33 days which the party spent entirely on glaciers, for 20 they were without tents, sleeping in snow caves at low temperatures; and for 10 days they had only candles for fuel. This expedition was immediately followed by a journey of 300 miles (483 km) on foot and by open, camp-built boat across the Alaskan wilderness to the Yukon River; for 125 miles (201 km) the route lay over Skolai Pass, which Miss Keen was the first woman ever to cross. In 1914, with three men, she made scientific observations of the glaciers of Harriman and College fjords, Prince William Sound, Alaska, and made the first explorations of the Harvard Glacier, reaching its sources (6100 feet) (1859 m). Miss Keen contributed numerous articles to popular and geographical magazines and lectured on her experiences. She became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London, in 1914.