Mary Ellen Chase (24 February 1887 - 28 July 1973) was an American educator, teacher, scholar, and author. She is regarded as one of the most important regional New England literary figures of the early twentieth century. Chase earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maine in 1909, then both a master's and Ph. D. in English from the University of Minnesota. During this time, she also taught at schools in Buck's Harbor, Maine, Chicago, and Montana, before serving as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota from 1922 to 1926. While a student, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She taught at Smith College starting in 1926 until her retirement in 1955.