Amos Bronson Alcott (1799 - 1888)  was an American philosopher, teacher, and writer. Father of Louisa May Alcott, he spent his life attempting to share his heartfelt, if unconventional, ideas about education. A leading disciple of the trandscendentalist movement, Bronson taught in numerous schools in the course of his career, and even established one of his own which, ultimately, failed. His progressive ideas inspired educational reformers in later generations, however, and many of his principles and practices are used in schools today.