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Emily Lovira Gregory

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Emily Lovira Gregory (1840–1897) was an American botanist born in Portage, New York. She received her B.A. from Cornell University in 1881, and then went to the University of Zurich where she earned her Ph.D., becoming one of the first American women to earn a doctoral degree from a university in Europe. Despite her extensive schooling, Gregory could not find a paid academic position. Because she was financially stable, she was able to take on unpaid positions from 1890 to 1895 at the University of Pennsylvania and Barnard College as a teaching fellow and lecturer respectively. Gregory was the first woman elected to the American Society of Naturalists in 1886.[1]

Early Life and Education

Gregory spent her childhood on her family farm in Portage, New York. During this time she received her education at Albion Seminary in Portage.[2] After graduation, she took a teaching position at Dunkirk (Fredonia) Friendship Seminary where she taught until she had earned enough to attend Cornell University in 1876.[3] She graduated from Cornell University in 1881 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature and a minor concentration in botany. She then moved on to Smith College where she taught botany for two years.[2]

Following her two years of teaching at Smith College, Gregory decided to expand her education in Europe because at this time, women were not accepted into graduate study programs in the United States. She achieved her doctorate degree at the University of Zurich after writing her dissertation titled “Comparative anatomy of the Filz-like hair-covering of leaf organs”. She studied with other notable botanist such as Albert Wigand, Johannes Reinke, and Simon Schwendener. Gregory was the first American woman to earn a doctorate in botany.[2]

Career

After receiving her degree Gregory started as a teaching fellow of botany at the University of Pennsylvania. Taking this position made her the first female faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania.[4] She then began teaching in the Bryn Mawr College where she was an Associate Professor in botany.[5] In 1886, she offered two courses: General Botany and Plant Anatomy.[6]

After some years with the University of Pennsylvania, Barnard College was founded. Gregory was the first faculty member in 1895,[4] and was appointed the first dean of the college.[7]

Publications and Awards

Barnard College created the Emily L. Gregory annual award for outstanding teaching based off of her reputation as a teacher who was dedicated to her students success. Gregory is responsible for writing America’s first botanical textbook that focused completely on plant anatomy, title “Elements of Plant Anatomy” in 1895.[2] She made numerous contributions to the field of botany during her years of work. In total, she is responsible for thirty-eight different publications, twelve of which were her own original works.[8] The most notable of her works were:

  • “The Pores of the Libriform Tissue”: printed by the Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club in 1886.[8]
  • “Death of Dr. Wigand”: printed by the Botanical Gazette in 1887.[8]
  • “Systematic Botany”: printed by the Botanical Gazette in 1887.[8]
  • “Development of Cork Wings on Certain Trees”: printed by the Botanical Gazette in 1888.[8]
  • “Notes on some Botanical Reading done in the Laboratory of Professor Schwendener, in Berlin, June and July, 1889”: printed by the Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club in 1889.[8]
  • “Notes on the Manner of Growth of the cell”: printed by the Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club in 1890.[8]
  • “Abnormal Growth of Spirogyra Cells”: printed by the Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club in 1892.[8]
  • “Anatomy as a Special Department of Botany”: printed by the Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club in 1893.[8]
  • “Elements of Plant Anatomy”: printed by Ginn and Co in 1895.[8]
  • “What is meant by Stem and Leaf”: printed by the Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club in 1896.[8]

Later life

Gregory became more involved in the church during her later years. She started a Sunday school for mainly college-age women at the church that she joined upon moving to New York. She detailed her thoughts on spirituality and science in a booklet titled “A Scientist’s Confession of Faith”. Gregory died of pneumonia on April 21 of 1897 at the age of 56.[2]

References

  1. ^ eds, Marilyn Ogilvie ... (2000). The biographical dictionary of women in science. New York [u.a.]: Routledge. ISBN 0415920388.
  2. ^ a b c d e Creese, M.R.S (1998). Ladies in the Laboratory? American and British Women in Science 1800-1900: A Survey of Their Contributions to Research. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 12–13.
  3. ^ Columbia University Bulletin. Columbia University. 1897.
  4. ^ a b "Women at Penn:Distinguished Early Graduates, Faculty, and Benefactors of the University." Women at Penn: Distinguished Early Graduates, Faculty and Benefactors of the University. University of Pennsylvania, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
  5. ^ The President's Report To The Board Of Trustees. Philadelphia: WM. H. Pile's Sons, Printers, 1886. Print.
  6. ^ "Biology." Graduate Courses: A Handbook for Graduate Students. Vol. 4. New York: Leach, Shewell, & Sanborn, 1896. 120. Print.
  7. ^ Summerfield, Carol. International Dictionary of University Histories. By Mary Elizabeth Devine. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. 36. Print.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harshberger, John W. (1899). The Botanists of Philadelphia and Their Work. Philadelphia: T. C. Davis & Sons. pp. 353–355.
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