Marie Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Clark Taylor
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| Born | 1911 |
| Died | December, 1990 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Howard University Fordham University |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Taylor |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany |
| Institutions | Howard University |
| Thesis | The influence of definite photoperiods upon the growth and development of initiated floral primordia (1941) |
Marie Clark Taylor (born in 1911, died in 1990) was an important American scientist. She was a botanist, which means she studied plants. Marie Taylor made history as the first woman to earn a science doctorate (a very high degree) from Fordham University. She also led the Botany Department at Howard University for many years. Her main research interest was how light affects plants, a field called photomorphogenesis.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marie Clark Taylor was born on February 16, 1911, in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. She finished high school at Dunbar High School in Washington D.C. in 1929.
College Studies
Marie continued her education at Howard University. She earned her first degree (B.S.) in 1933. Then, she got her master's degree (M.S.) in Botany in 1935. In 1941, she achieved her Ph.D. from Fordham University. She was the first woman of any background to earn a science doctorate there. For her Ph.D., she studied how different amounts of light affected the growth of plant flowers.
Career and Contributions
Before joining Howard University, Marie Taylor taught at Cardozo High School. She also started special summer science programs for high school teachers. In these programs, she showed new ways to teach science. For example, she taught teachers how to use light-microscopes to study tiny plant cells.
Service and Leadership
During World War II, Marie served in the Army Red Cross in New Guinea. After the war, in 1945, she joined the Botany Department at Howard University. In 1947, she became the head of the department. She held this important position until she retired in 1976. Under her leadership, the department grew a lot. She even helped design a new building for biology on the Howard University campus.
Family Life
On January 1, 1948, Marie married Richard Taylor. They had met while they were both serving in New Guinea. They had one son, who was born in 1950.
Expanding Science Education
Marie Taylor also taught summer science classes for the National Science Foundation. These classes helped biology teachers learn how to use plants to teach about cell life. She always emphasized using microscopes to look closely at living cells. In the mid-1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked her to share her teaching methods with other countries. This helped her bring her unique teaching style to a global level.
Legacy
Marie Clark Taylor passed away on December 28, 1990, in Washington, D.C. After her death, an auditorium at Howard University was named in her honor. This was a way to remember her important work and dedication to science and education.
See also
In Spanish: Marie Taylor para niños
