Martha Whiteley of Imperial College, London: A Pioneering Woman Chemist

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 89; no. 5; pp. 598 - 601
• Main Authors: Nicholson, Rafaelle M, Nicholson, John W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 10.04.2012; Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemists; College professors; College Science; Dictionaries; England; Equal Education; Equal Opportunities (Jobs); Females; Foreign Countries; Graduate Study; High Schools; Higher education; Males; Organic chemistry; Personal profiles; Profiles; Science Education; Scientists; Secondary School Science; Social Bias; Undergraduate Study; United Kingdom; War; Whiteley, Martha; Women; Womens Education; United Kingdom (England); United Kingdom; First-Year Undergraduate/General; Women in Chemistry; History/Philosophy; High School/Introductory Chemistry; Textbooks/Reference Books; General Public
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/ed2005455

Martha Whiteley (1866–1956) was one of the most important women chemists in the United Kingdom in the first half of the 20th century. In a male-dominated field, she was an academic on the staff of a co-educational university, Imperial College, London, where she carried out research of her own choosing, rather than assisting a male professor. She played a critical role in securing the admission of women to the Chemical Society and thus gaining public acknowledgment for their role as research chemists. Later, she undertook editorial work on the multi-volume Thorpe’s Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, becoming the senior editor. Both by her example and her activities, she encouraged women to strive for equal recognition in the field of chemistry. Her contribution to science has been widely recognized and Imperial College named a suite in the conference center in her honor in 2007.