Alice Wilson

Alice Evelyn Wilson, MBE , FRSC , FRCGS (born August 26, 1881 in Cobourg , Ontario , Canada , † April 15, 1964 in Ottawa , Ontario, Canada) was a Canadian geologist . She was the first woman to work in this field in Canada. Her scientific studies of rocks and fossils from the Ottawa region between 1913 and 1963 constitute a respected source of knowledge.

life and career

Wilson grew up in Cobourg, Ontario. She came from a family of academics. Her father, John Wilson, was a professor of classical philology at Victoria College in Toronto , and two of her brothers were geologists and mathematicians. Her family encouraged her to think scientifically and to pursue scientific knowledge. As a child, she went canoeing and camping trips with her father and brothers. She developed an interest in the area's fossils and limestone formations early on.

In 1901 Wilson began studying modern languages and history at Victoria College, Toronto, with the prospect of becoming a teacher - one of the few professions open to women at the time. She was unable to finish the last year of study for health reasons. However, she was hired in 1907 as an assistant in the mineralogical department of the Museum of the University of Toronto , which began her geological career.

In 1909 she began working for the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) as an employee in the invertebrate paleontology department at the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa, where she cataloged and labeled collections. Her mentor was Percy Raymond , then chief paleontologist at the GSC. He encouraged her to take time off to finish her studies. She then got a permanent job at the GSC in 1911. In Toronto she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree . In 1913 a publication of her appeared in the first museum communications. This is considered to be the beginning of her career as a paleontologist.

As a woman, Wilson was not allowed to participate in fieldwork that involved living in camps with men in remote areas, a policy the GSC pursued until 1970. However, she managed to convince the GSC of short trips to the Ottawa-Saint Lawrence Valley , a region that was largely unexplored at the time. From then on, despite her lifelong health problems, she explored the area for fifty years, first on foot and by bike, and then by car. In contrast to her male colleagues, the GSC did not provide her with a car, she had to buy it herself. She mapped an area of ​​more than 16,000 square kilometers.

From 1915 she tried to improve her professional qualifications by obtaining a doctorate. Although the GSC at the time granted paid time off for such studies, their applications were repeatedly denied. Even after the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) granted her a scholarship , the GSC refused. This only changed after the CFUW intervened in the highest political circles.

Alice Wilson graduated in 1929 with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago . At the time she was 48 years old. Despite this, the GSC repeatedly denied her promotions and professional recognition. In contrast to her male colleagues, she was not addressed as “doctor” despite her academic degree before 1945. Overall, their promotions were slower than those of their male colleagues. She became an assistant palaeontologist in 1920, assistant geologist in 1926 and associate geologist in 1940 .

In 1930 she was one of the first two women to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society . In 1935 she was selected by the Richard Bedford Bennett government as a Member of the Order of the British Empire. They had been looking for a woman in the civilian federal service for an honor. Shortly thereafter, the GSC published her work and she was promoted. It was the first time in ten years. In 1936 she became the first Canadian female Fellow of the Geological Society of America , and in 1938 she became the first female Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada .

The GSC published the results of Alice Wilson's fieldwork in 1946: Geology of the St. Lawrence Lowland, Ontario and Quebec . This was the first time that an important publication appeared on the geology of this region. In addition to a full discussion of the geology, Wilson also covered the area's economic resources, including building blocks, sand, gravel, and drinking water. With that year, her official activities for the GSC ended, she entered legal retirement, but kept an office until she was 82 years old. Even after she left, she continued to publish academic papers.

From 1948 to 1958, Wilson was a lecturer in paleontology at Carleton College (later Carleton University ). In 1960, she became the first woman to be awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Carleton University for her services as a geologist and stimulating teacher. She worked as a geological consultant and mentor many young geologists.

meaning

Wilson was Canada's first female geologist and the first woman to be hired as a geologist by the Geological Survey of Canada. She was the first woman to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She paved the way for women in a man's world.

Ironically, their scientific significance stems from the GSC's sexist policies, which ultimately led to their important contributions to the geology of the Québec and Ottawa regions.

Her main focus was on studying invertebrate fossils from the Paleozoic Era , found across Canada, and the Ordovician in Ontario. In addition, she examined the stratigraphy of Ontario and Québec. She also suggested investigations into the fauna of the Ordovician in the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic .

She has written over 50 scientific publications. Her essay on the geology of the Ottawa-Saint-Lawrence-Valley provided important information for the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway . The typological collection of invertebrate fossils she founded at the GSC is not only one of the largest in the world, but is still considered a reference.

Wilson also worked to make geology more widely available. She wrote a children's book, The Earth Beneath our Feet , published in 1947 . She brought her knowledge to students and other interested parties in lectures, excursions, publications and exhibitions.

Awards

• In 1930 elected Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society as one of the first two women
• 1935 Member of the Order of the British Empire
• 1936 Admitted to the Geological Society of America as the first Canadian woman
• 1938 Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada as first woman
• 1960 first female honorary doctorate in law from Carleton University for her services as a geologist and lecturer

In 1991, the Royal Society of Canada established the Alice Wilson Award for Young Women Scientists.

Wilson was inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame .

Quote

Wilson said of the relationship between women and men in geology:

"If you meet a stone wall you don't pit yourself against it, you go around it and find a weakness."

"When you hit a stone wall, you don't fight it, you walk around it and find a weak point."

reception

In works that dealt with her after her death, she is considered one of the most respected geologists in Canada and a palaeontologist with worldwide renown, as well as an inspiring teacher.

Alice Evelyn Wilson is one of the ten researchers portrayed by Canadian artist Chris Cran in his exhibition Explore in 2018 .

Fonts (selection)

• Geology of the Ottawa-St. Lawrence Lowland, Ontario and Quebec . Edmond Cloutier, Ottawa 1946.
• The Earth Beneath Our Feet . Illustrated by CE Johnson. The Macmillan Company of Canada , Toronto 1947.
• Miscellaneous classes of fossils: Ottawa formation, Ottawa-St. Lawrence Valley . Edmond Cloutier, Ottawa 1948.
• Gastropoda and Conularida of the Ottawa formation of the Ottawa-St. Lawrence Lowland . Edmond Cloutier, Ottawa 1951.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Library and Archives Canada; ARCHIVED - Celebrating Women's Achievements; Alice Wilson (1881–1964) Geologist ( Memento November 4, 2016 in the web archive archive.today ), accessed January 23, 2020
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Alice Wilson, on science.ca; accessed January 23, 2020
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} Loris S. Russell , Erin James-Abra: Alice Wilson. The Canadian Encyclopedia , October 25, 2017, accessed February 15, 2020 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b} 66. Ottawa Geology (1946). In: The History of the Geological Survey of Canada in 175 Objects . Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada , March 3, 2017, accessed February 16, 2020 . 
5. ↑ The numbers differ here, however: Parks Canada names 14,250, the Fellows Journal 26,000 square kilometers.
6. ↑ Parks Canada states 1936.
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Famous Fellows: Alice E Wilson (1881–1964). In: Fellows Journal July / August 2018. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, 2018, accessed on February 23, 2020 . 
8. ↑ science.ca differs here in the information from the other sources, according to which she was promoted only in 1940 and the publication of her research only appeared in 1946, i.e. at a considerable distance from the award of the MBE.
9. ^ ^{A b} Parks Canada: Alice Evelyn Wilson (1881–1964). In: Canada. Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada , October 18, 2018, accessed February 23, 2020 . 
10. ↑ RSC Medals & Awards: Alice Wilson Awar. The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) , accessed February 14, 2020 . 
11. ^ The Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame. In: Ingenium. Canadian Science and Technology Museum , July 2, 2019, accessed February 22, 2020 . 
12. ↑ Explore - Exhibition 2018 at 50 Sussex, Ontario, Canada. (PDF; 5638 KiB)

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