Marcia Keith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcia Anna Keith
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| Born | September 10, 1859 |
| Died | 1950 (aged 90–91) |
| Alma mater | Mount Holyoke |
| Known for | Teaching physics, especially to women |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Public school system of Massachusetts, Michigan Seminary, Lake Erie College, Mount Holyoke, Norton |
Marcia Anna Keith (born 1859, died 1950) was an important physicist and teacher. She was especially known for teaching physics to women. She also helped start the American Physical Society in 1899.
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Early Life and Education
Marcia Keith was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. Her birthday was September 10, 1859. She went to Mount Holyoke College and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1892.
She also studied at other places to learn more about science. She was a special student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1887 and 1889. Later, she went to the University of Berlin in Germany from 1897 to 1898. In the summer of 1901, she attended the University of Chicago.
Teaching Physics to Women
Marcia Keith started her teaching career in 1876. She taught in public schools in Massachusetts until 1879. In 1883, she became a science teacher at the Michigan Seminary in Kalamazoo.
In 1885, Keith began teaching mathematics at Mount Holyoke. Soon after, she became the first full-time teacher in the physics department there. From 1889 to 1903, she was the head of the physics department. She also taught at Norton in 1904. From 1905 to 1906, she taught at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.
Marcia Keith was a leader in teaching physics to women. She is thought to be the first teacher to have students do their own experiments in the lab. She also started a physics discussion group at Mt. Holyoke. This helped students learn about new ideas in the fast-growing field of physics.
Research and Other Work
Marcia Keith also did her own scientific research. She studied how heat moves through gases when they are very cold.
From 1906 to 1908, Keith worked for a company in New York City. She was a consulting engineer for the firm of Herbert C. Keith.
Founding the American Physical Society
Marcia Keith was one of the first members of the American Physical Society. She helped to create this important group in 1899. At the first meeting, only two women were present. These women were Marcia Keith and Isabelle Stone from Vassar.
Her Family
Marcia Anna Keith had four sisters: Lucy, Mary Helen, Sarah Emma, and Cora Frances. She also had a niece named Mary Keith Warren.
