Thelma Alper

Thelma Gorfinkle Alper (July 24, 1908 - July 30, 1988) was an American clinical psychologist.

Alper received her B.A. and M.A. from Wellesley College in 1929 and 1933 respectively. In 1943, she became the eleventh woman, and first Jewish woman, to receive a Ph.D from Harvard.

She began her work at Harvard as a tutor and instructor. She was told she would never be offered tenure because she was a woman, and in 1948, she resigned from Harvard. She then became an associate professor at Clark University, but due to an ill family member, she left that position as well and accepted a position at Wellesley College.

Alper created a measure to study achievement motivation in women.

She served as President of the Massachusetts Psychological Association and two chapters of Phi Beta Kappa.