Women and Science

Introduction Historical Setting Faculty Students Marcus Homepage WIMSE

Historical Setting

Women’s access to higher education is generally credited to the pioneering efforts of Emma Willard who started the Troy Female Seminary in New York in 1819. Female seminaries and the women’s colleges that followed, were not only important in bringing higher education to women but these colleges are also widely recognized for facilitating the participation of women in science. Over time the women’s colleges led the way not only in training women as scientists, but these institutions also were the primary employers of women scientists. Although state universities and land grant schools were accepting women as students by the 1870s it took several decades to admit them to graduate programs and these larger coed institutions rarely hired women as faculty members.

The Seminary West of the Suwanee was conceived in 1851. However, it was not until 1857 that the legislature finally designated Tallahassee as the official site for the Seminary and young women were not admitted until 1858.

By the Fall of 1898 the Seminary was offering a science curriculum that led to a Bachelor’s of Science degree. Courses in chemistry, biology, physics, geology, and astronomy were required. The institution also offered advanced study in physiology, chemistry, and electricity.

During this early period the institution went through a number of changes. In 1901 the name was changed to Florida State College. Then in 1905 H.H. Buckman, a Representative from Duval County, proposed House Bill No. 361 (The Buckman Bill). This bill abolished all previous educational institutions in Florida and established 4 new institutions of which one, was Florida Female College. The stated purpose of the institution was to offer classical and practical education to females in the state. Albert Alexander Murphree became the first President of the Florida Female College. He stressed the highest standards and was determined to make the quality of the education superior; unlike other southern women’s colleges that stressed teacher education Florida Female College would stress liberal studies. In 1909 the legislature changed the name to Florida State College for Women and in that year Dr. Edward Conradi became President.  Then in 1947 the institution became Florida State University.

During these early years College Hall was the main building for the institution.

It included several facilities including 4 classrooms for teaching science.

	The Biology Laboratory supported courses in zoology, botany, and histology. Murphree claimed there was no better laboratory in the State. The laboratory included microscopes, microtomes, reagents, and a collection of several thousand slides.
	The Chemistry Laboratory was used for teaching general, inorganic, organic, and analytical chemistry.
	The Physical Laboratory was used to study electricity, magnetism, sound, light and other phenomena.
	And lastly the Psychology Laboratory was used to study different senses, memory, illusions, and the nervous system. The 1908/1909 Bulletin claims that this was the first such laboratory in Florida.