Women Scientists

Maria Mitchell 1818-1889

At a glance:

Pioneer American astronomer

Maria Mitchell's family were Quakers, which meant that intellectual equality between the sexes was valued so Maria benefited from education similar to her nine brothers. She was offered the job as first librarian of the Nantucket Athenaeum, after which she was largely self taught. She was an enthusiast 'We ask for all the knowledge around us and the more we get, the more we desire'. She discovered 'Miss Mitchell's comet' using a telescope, which gave her worldwide fame and a prize from the King of Denmark. She became the first professional woman astronomer and the first woman member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She became professor of astronomy at Vassar College. When she learned that her salary was considerably less than that of her younger male colleagues she made such a fuss that she got the salary increase she demanded. She was a suffragette and traveled in Europe with Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of 'The Scarlet Letter' and his family.
Maria Mitchell

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Here is what people are saying about Maria Mitchell:

from kaytie n. (1:44 04/11/2009)
i love maria for her love of astronomy

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