Edith Marion Patch
Edith Marion Patch (27 July 1876 – 28 September 1954) was an American entomologist and writer. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, she received a degree from the University of Minnesota in 1901 and originally embarked on a career as an English teacher before receiving the opportunity to organize the entomology department at the University of Maine. She became the head of the entomology department in 1904, and, despite misgivings from several male colleagues about having a female department head, she remained in this post until her retirement in 1937. Patch is recognized as the first truly successful professional woman entomologist in the United States.
Edith Marion Patch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 July 1876 Worcester, Massachusetts, USA |
| Died | 28 September 1954 (aged 78) Old Town, Maine, USA |
| Education | University of Minnesota University of Maine |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Known for | First Female President of the Entomological Society of America. Study of aphids. |
Patch earned her master's degree from the university of Maine in 1910 and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 1911. During her career, she was recognized as an expert on aphids and published Food Plant Catalogue of the Aphids in 1938. She was elected president of the American Nature Study Society and in 1930 became the first female president of the Entomological Society of America. Patch's residence in Old Town, Maine, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.