Anna J. Harrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Jane Harrison
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| Born | December 23, 1912 |
| Died | August 8, 1998 (aged 85) |
| Alma mater | B.A., 1933, M.A., 1937, Ph.D., 1940 in chemistry, B.A., 1935 in education University of Missouri |
| Known for | Professor of chemistry, Mount Holyoke College; first female President of the American Chemical Society |
| Awards | Twenty honorary degrees |
Anna Jane Harrison (born December 23, 1912 – died August 8, 1998) was an American chemist. She taught chemistry at Mount Holyoke College for almost 40 years.
She made history as the first female President of the American Chemical Society. This is a very important group for chemists in the United States. She also received many special awards from universities. Anna Jane Harrison was well-known for her teaching. She worked hard to support women who wanted to study science.
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Early Life and Education
Anna Jane Harrison was born in 1912 in Benton City, Missouri. Her parents, Albert and Mary Katherine Harrison, were farmers. When she was seven, her father passed away. Her mother then managed the family farm and cared for Anna and her older brother.
Anna first became interested in science during high school in Mexico, Missouri. She went to the University of Missouri in Columbia. There, she earned several degrees. She got her first degree in chemistry in 1933. She also earned a degree in education in 1935. Later, she received her master's degree in chemistry in 1937. Finally, she earned her Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1940.
Her Career as a Chemist
While working on her master's degree, Anna taught at a small country school. This was the same one-room school in Audrain County, Missouri where she had been a student. From 1940 to 1945, she taught chemistry at H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College. This was a women's college at Tulane University.
Wartime Research
During World War II, Anna took a break from teaching. In 1942, she did important research for the war at the University of Missouri. In 1944, she worked on special smoke for the National Defense Research Committee. This work was done at companies in Kansas City, Missouri, and Corning (city), New York. Her research helped create kits for the United States Army to detect smoke. She received an award for this work.
Teaching at Mount Holyoke
In 1945, Anna joined the chemistry department at Mount Holyoke College. She became a full professor there in 1950. From 1960 to 1966, she led the chemistry department. She retired from Mount Holyoke College in 1979. After retiring, she taught at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Research and Leadership
Anna Harrison's research looked at how carbon-based chemicals are built. She also studied how they react to different kinds of light, especially ultraviolet light. She received a grant to study how certain chemicals absorb and break down under ultraviolet light.
She served on the National Science Board from 1972 to 1978. In 1978, she became the first female president of the American Chemical Society. She also served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1983.
As an educator and researcher, Anna worked with many science groups in the United States. These included the American Chemical Society and the National Science Foundation. She traveled to different countries as a representative for these groups. She visited India in 1971 and Antarctica in 1974. In 1978, she went to Japan, Spain, and Thailand. She returned to India in 1983.
She wrote articles for important science magazines. These included Journal of the American Chemical Society and Chemical & Engineering News. She also wrote for Encyclopædia Britannica. She helped guide what was published in some science teaching journals.
In 1989, she wrote a textbook with a colleague from Mount Holyoke College. It was called "Chemistry: A Search to Understand."
Anna Jane Harrison was very interested in getting more money for science education. She also worked to help more women succeed in science.
She passed away in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1998. She was eighty-five years old.
See also
In Spanish: Anna J. Harrison para niños
