Mary Emilie Holmes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Emilie Holmes
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| Born | April 10, 1850 |
| Died | February 13, 1906 (aged 55) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Known for | First woman elected to the Geological Society of America |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology |
Mary Emilie Holmes (born April 10, 1850 – died February 13, 1906) was an amazing American scientist and teacher. She lived in the 1800s and became the first woman ever chosen to be a member of the Geological Society of America. This was a very important achievement! Mary also helped start a school for young Black women. This school later became Mary Holmes College, which was named after her mother.
Contents
Mary's Early Life and School Days
Mary Emilie Holmes was born on April 10, 1850, in Chester, Ohio. Her father, Rev. Mead Holmes, was a Presbyterian minister and missionary. Her mother was Mary D. Holmes. Mary Emilie was their second child. Her older brother, Mead Jr., was nine years older than her.
When Mary Emilie was three, her family moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. There, her parents worked with Native Americans and became strong supporters of ending slavery. Mary's mother also ran a school for women for two years.
Mary Emilie was very good at learning languages. By listening to her brother's lessons, she learned the basics of Greek, Latin, and French by the time she was eight. She also loved science from a young age. She started collecting plants for her first herbarium when she was only five. Her family home, and later her own home, became like a small zoo! She had many tamed animals, including squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, gophers, foxes, woodchucks, a bald eagle, owls, and different small birds.
Sadly, Mary Emilie's brother died unexpectedly in April 1863. He was a soldier fighting for the Union during the Civil War. The next year, her family moved to Rockford, Illinois. Her father became involved in local politics. Her mother worked to help freed people after the Civil War ended.
Mary Emilie went to school at Rockford Female Seminary. She started there at age 14 and graduated in 1868. After that, she taught Spencerian penmanship at the seminary. She also studied to become an organ player and earned a certificate in 1870. Later, she joined her parents in helping freed people through the Presbyterian Board of Missions.
Becoming a Scientist and Teacher
In 1877, Mary Emilie Holmes returned to the seminary as a teacher. She taught botany (the study of plants) and chemistry until 1885. One of her famous students during this time was Jane Addams, who later became a leader for women's rights.
When the seminary started offering a college degree (A.B.) in 1881–82, Mary quickly asked to receive one. Even though some teachers thought she should get the degree without more work, she ended up taking some exams. She earned her A.B. degree in 1882.
In 1885, she left the seminary to study at the University of Michigan. She earned her M.A. degree in 1886 and her Ph.D. degree in 1888. Her Ph.D. research was about the shape of corals. Her main subjects were geology (the study of Earth) and paleontology (the study of fossils). She was the first woman to earn a doctorate in earth science from that university.
Between 1887 and 1892, Mary Holmes went on many trips to do geological research. Even though geology was her main focus, she was also a respected botanist. As early as 1876, her name was listed among important plant experts in a book about Illinois plants.
She collected a huge number of scientific items. This included over a thousand animal skins, more than two thousand shells, hundreds of slides, and many fossils, minerals, and plants. She carefully organized and labeled everything. Mary was also a talented artist. She painted and drew many natural subjects.
In 1889, Mary Holmes became the first female Fellow of the Geological Society of America. This was a big honor! It was partly because of her "original scientific investigation and discovery." It was also because she had earned a doctorate in geology.
Three years later, she gave a speech at a big event in Chicago called the World's Columbian Exposition. She talked about how important it was to teach geology to children early on. Mary Holmes's career as a full-time scientist was quite short, mostly from 1885 to 1892. This might have been because, at that time, earth sciences were mostly seen as a field for men. There were not many women working as geologists. The second woman to join the Geological Society of America, Florence Bascom, became the first American woman to have a long career as a professional geologist and college professor.
Helping Others Through Education
After her science career, Mary Holmes focused on education. She especially wanted to help African-Americans. As a member of the Presbyterian Board of Missions for Freedmen, she traveled and gave speeches. She supported education for freed people in the late 1880s.
Through this board, she helped try to open a school for African-Americans called Monticello Academy in Monticello, Arkansas. However, the school's first principal had to close it and leave town because of threats.
After her mother died in 1890, Mary Emilie and her father decided to start a new school. It would be a seminary for young Black women, honoring her mother, Mary D. Holmes. Their dream came true in 1892. The church's Board of Missions for Freedmen paid for and watched over the Mary Holmes Seminary. It started in Jackson, Mississippi, and later moved to West Point, Mississippi.
Their main goal was to train the girls to be good homemakers and leaders in their communities and the Presbyterian Church. The first teachers and staff were white, and the students ranged from primary school to high school age. The school taught three main areas: "Literary, Music and Industrial." This included courses in literature, grammar, history, science, math, music, Bible studies, and practical skills like cooking and sewing.
The Mary Holmes Seminary faced many challenges, including two big fires. But it kept going! In the 20th century, it became a two-year college for both boys and girls, known as Mary Holmes College. Mary Holmes worked hard to raise money to rebuild the seminary after each fire. She even served as its president for a short time after the second fire.
Mary Holmes was always active in the Presbyterian Church. She was the organist for the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Rockford for many years. She also held several church jobs, including leading the Westminster Church Woman's Home Missionary Society. Her mother had held this job before her. Members of this group raised money for Christian schools and to support women missionary teachers.
Mary Holmes died at home on February 13, 1906. She was 55 years old. She passed away a few months before her father. She left behind "one of the finest private scientific collections in the west." People say she continued her work to help freed people almost until the day she died.
Images for kids
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Mary Emilie Holmes around 1893.
See also
In Spanish: Mary Emilie Holmes para niños
