This is the third blog post in a series to celebrate “Women’s History Month.”  October has been set aside by the Government of Canada to celebrate the significant contributions women make to our society. In light of this celebration I have decided to dedicate blog posts in the month of October to women in our history who have made a significant contribution to Canadian science.

This year’s theme is ‘Women in the Lead’ and honours the girls and women in Canada, past and present, who have gone first and opened doors for others to follow.

Alice Wilson, Canadian’s first female geologist and the first woman to become a member of the Royal Society of Canada, was certainly a woman who went first and opened doors for women to follow.

Alice was born in 1881, into a family in Cobourg, Ontario, where scholarship, and science in particular, were highly valued. Alice was introduced to the outdoors early in her life and quickly became interested in fossils in the limestone formations in the Cobourg area. This interest led to a career as a noted paleontologist for her detailed studies of fossils and rocks of the Ottawa-Saint Lawrence Lowland.

Wilson studied modern languages and history at the University of Toronto in 1901 but due to ill health was unable to return to her studies. Once recovered, she worked at the University of Toronto Museum in the Mineralogy Division and later in 1909 at the Geological Survey of Canada in Ottawa (Survey). Throughout her career she faced many barriers in her pursuit to undertake field work. Remote work with her male colleagues was out of the question and for the next fifty years her work would be limited to short trips in the Ottawa-Saint Lawrence Valley. She had to purchase her own car to carry out her work because her employer would not issue her one as was done for her male colleagues.

Beginning in 1915 Alice applied for a paid leave of absence to undertake her doctoral studies, which at the time Survey was granting to employees. Her requests were repeatedly denied until 1926 when persistence paid off and she was given permission to apply for a scholarship offered by the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW). Upon winning the scholarship, Survey once again denied her leave. The CFUW lobbied this decision to the highest political levels and the leave was eventually granted. Alice achieved her long-standing goal receiving her PhD in 1929 at the age of forty-nine. Returning to Survey with her doctorate, she again faced the same limiting barriers and was denied promotions and professional recognition.

In 1935, Alice was chosen to become a member of the Order of the British Empire by the Canadian Government. In 1936 she became a Fellow in the Geological Society of America and in 1938 became the first woman Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.

After compulsory retirement at the age of sixty-five, Alice continued her scientific work until months before her death. In 1947 she published a book, The Earth Beneath Our Feet, sharing her love of geology with children. From 1948 until 1958 she was a much-appreciated lecturer in Paleontology at Carleton University, where she was presented with an honorary degree in 1960.

In tributes after her death in 1964, Alice was recognized as an inspiring teacher, one of Canada’s most respected geologists and a paleontologist of worldwide reputation.

Alice’s contributions to geology should be celebrated, especially when we look at how hard she had to work to accomplish greatness. Alice should also be remembered for her ability to break down barriers for the women who followed her. She truly is an inspiration to all women, proving that no barrier is too great to break through with determination and persistence.

For more information on Women’s History Month visit http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/index_e.html.