Florence Bascom, The First US Geologist Inspired by Caves

Florence Bascom was the first woman in the United States to hold a PhD in Geology, and the first woman geologist ever hired by the U.S. Geological Survey. She also became the head of the Dept. of Geology at Bryn Mawr College.

Bascom was was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1862. Her father encouraged her interest in natural science, and she became fascinated with geology as a result of a trip to Mammoth Cave. She earned her BS in 1884, her MS in1887, and attempted to enroll in the PhD program at Johns Hopkins University. The University refused to enroll her as a regular student, but allowed her to attend classes sitting behind a screen, out of sight of the male students. She persevered, taking a full program of graduate studies. She was among the first American petrologists to utilize thin-section studies, and her work was so exemplary and professional that she was awarded the PhD in 1893. Bascom's bibliography numbers about 40 published works. Bascom was elected to Fellowship in The Geological Society of America in 1894, and initiated an important geology program for women at Bryn Mawr College in 1895.

SOURCES
www.minrec.org

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