Mary Watson Whitney

Mary Watson Whitney was brilliant, and she was kind. In college, classmates called her "Pallas Athene, Our Goddess of Wisdom."

Born in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1847, Mary excelled as a student from a young age. But because of the time, her college options were limited. She went to the newly opened Vassar, where she became president of the math club, a writer for student publications, a superb student in the astronomy program.

After college, Mary became a high school teacher. But over the years, she would make her way back into astronomy, graduating with a master's degree from Vassar and becoming a professor and director of the observatory there. During her leadership, the observatory issued 102 articles and publications.

In addition, Mary worked hard to create opportunities and secure jobs for students through personal connections, and prepare women through classroom training for careers in the sciences. As one of her students would remark, "In discovering such talents and in giving them preliminary training, Miss Whitney made a greater contribution to astronomy than she had any conception of."

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Note: In the photograph, Mary is the one standing. Seated is Maria Mitchell.

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Sources:

Vassar Encyclopedia - https://vcencyclopedia.vassar.edu/.../mary-watson-whitney/ / https://vcencyclopedia.vassar.edu/dis.../caroline-e-furness/ / Dutchess County Historical Society (https://dchsny.org/maria-mitchell/)