Mary Hinds Philbrick (1832-1906) was born in Dover, Maine, and died in Chicago, Illinois. She was a student of Mary Baker Eddy's, completing the Primary class (1884), the Normal class (1886), and the Obstetrics course (1888). She joined the Christian Scientist Association in May 1886 and joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 31, 1892. Philbrick was a resident of Chicago, but moved to Anamosa, Iowa, to help further the growth of Christian Science in the Midwest. In 1887, she was granted a charter for The Iowa Christian Science Institute. She became a Christian Science practitioner and teacher listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal and served in those capacities until her passing. After chartering the Institute, she spent the next few years teaching and healing across Iowa. In 1892, she organized First Church of Christ, Scientist, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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