![]() ![]() She earned two Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin in Arts and Letters, and after graduation went into teaching 1. You may be surprised to learn that, given her success, Florence Bascom initially wanted nothing to do with geology. From: Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College 2. 1”įlorence Bascom in her usual field attire holding a Brunton compass 1. ![]() She was an amazing geologist, and her work was both foundational and still cited today as relevant.įlorence Bascom was, as one author put it, the “Pioneer of Women Geologists. If we wrote about him as we do Bascom, we would only say he was the “first Scottish geologist.”īascom earned her honors and accolades. For example, we write that James Hutton conceptualized uniformitarianism (the theory that the rock record is the result of continuous processes, such as the steady deposition of sediment in a river). We never discuss the achievements of men in the same light. Very rarely do we hear about what she did. Most biographies of Bascom focus solely on her lists of firsts. Part 3 will talk more about mentorship, both how her mentors helped her succeed and how she in turn mentored women geoscientists. Part 2 will highlight how Bascom faced adversity as a woman. ![]() Part 1 (this post) will cover her amazing firsts and the impact she made to geological sciences. I will spend three posts covering the life and works of Dr. She is rarely talked about in the history of geology, and her contributions are often overlooked. She authored around 40 publications about the geology of the eastern US.Įven though Bascom was at one time lauded as a top American geologist, I’m guessing most of those reading this have never heard of her. Florence Bascom, became the first woman professional geologist in the United States.įlorence Bascom forever changed the look of the American geologist and opened the door to a new generation of women who themselves made significant impacts to geology and paleontology. ![]() They hired a professor from Bryn Mawr College, a small women’s college in Pennsylvania, who was rapidly gaining notoriety as a world-class geologist. In 1896, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) needed someone to map out the geology of the eastern United States. ( Cover banner: Bascom portrait 1 from Sophia Smith Collection 2, Smith College and illustration is from Bascom and Stose, 1932 3.) Florence Bascom forever altered the landscaped of American geology. ![]()
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