Gertrude Stickney Young (September 14, 1883 – January 1965) was born in Sioux Falls, Dakota Territory, to Emma and Sutton Young, the first Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1960 and also attended Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and the University of California.

Young served on the faculty of South Dakota State University from 1907 to 1942, earning a reputation as a popular instructor. After becoming Professor Emeritus in 1942, she wrote numerous historical sketches about South Dakota, including South Dakota: An Appreciation and Dakota Again, many of which were privately published and remain in libraries across the state.

An active civic leader, Young was the first president of the Brookings Branch of the American Association of University Women and a member of several local organizations, including the Faculty Women's Club and the Brookings Woman's Club. She passed away in January 1965.