Florence Bascom

Florence Bascom, considered the first American woman geologist, was born on July 14, 1862 in Williamstown, Massachusetts.  Her father was a professor at Williams College.  When she was twelve her father was named president of the University of Wisconsin and they relocated there.  She enrolled in the University at sixteen and in 1882 earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in letters and one in arts.  In 1884 she earned a Bachelor of Science degree.  Her main interest was geology and after studying for several more years with leading scholars she received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1884.  She taught for two years then earned her Ph.D. at John’s Hopkins University the first doctoral degree awarded to a woman in 1893.

In 1895 she joined the faculty at Bryn Mawr College where she remained for the next thirty years.  She introduced geology as an undergraduate major and eventually as a graduate program despite the objections of the college’s president, who felt science should only be an elective in a women’s college.

Florence persevered and brought rock and mineral collections to the college and in 1899 obtained a petrographic microscope enabling her to teach petrography.