Mary MacArthur facts for kids

Mary MacArthur was a Canadian scientist. She studied how to successfully dry and freeze fresh foods. She did this important work for the Canadian government. Her research took place at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1952, she made history. Mary was the first woman to become a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. This honor recognized her big contributions to farming in Canada.

About Mary MacArthur

Mary MacArthur was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She moved to Canada when she was a child. Her family settled in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. From a young age, she was very interested in botany, which is the study of plants.

She went to Acadia University in Nova Scotia. There, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1933. Later, she continued her studies at Radcliffe College, which was connected to Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. in 1937.

Mary's Science Career

After finishing her studies, Mary MacArthur worked as an assistant professor of botany. This was at a women's college in Elmira, New York, from 1937 to 1938.

In 1938, she started a new job. She became an agricultural scientist at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Canada. This farm is part of the Department of Agriculture. Her early work focused on plant histology and cytology. These are studies of plant tissues and cells.

Food Preservation Research

Mary MacArthur became well known for her leadership. She led Canadian research into dehydration, which means removing water from food. This included important studies on how to stop enzymes in plants from working before drying them. Enzymes can cause food to spoil.

In 1942, a large dehydration tunnel was built in Ottawa. Mary used this tunnel to do more than 2,000 experiments. This happened during the last four years of World War II. She discovered that vegetables needed to be blanched (briefly heated) before drying. This step was crucial to stop the enzymes.

She worked with other scientists in Kentville, Nova Scotia. They sent her dried vegetables for her to analyze in Ottawa. This work was very important during the war. Many fruits and vegetables had to be dried and sent to Europe. This helped with the war effort.

Her research greatly improved the look and nutrition of dried cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Her work on freezing fruits and vegetables had been paused during the war. But it started up again in 1944. Before World War II ended, Mary also published a paper. It was about freezing packaged asparagus, strawberries, and corn.

Sharing Her Discoveries

In 1945, the Department of Agriculture published a booklet. It was the first guide on how to freeze food at home. This booklet was based on Mary's research. By 1949, Mary also wrote a summary of her research. This was put into a booklet for food companies to use.

Mary MacArthur also helped Malcolm Bancroft Davis. He was the chief of the Horticulture Division. He studied how to preserve fruits and vegetables by freezing them. He also researched how to store apples using gas.

Awards and Recognition

In 1952, Mary MacArthur received a special honor. She was the first woman to become a member of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. This showed how much her work helped Canadian agriculture.