Carrie Derick
Encyclopedia
Carrie Matilda Derick was a Canadian
botanist and the first female professor in a Canadian University.
Born in Clarenceville, Quebec on January 14th, Carrie was educated at the Clarenceville Academy and received her teacher training at the McGill Normal School. She was a school teacher in Clarenceville and Montreal. In 1890, she received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from McGill University
, graduating at the top of her class in natural science
with First Rank Honours. (Included in that class were two other notable Canadian women; Elizabeth Binmore
and Maude Abbott
.) In 1896, she received a Master of Arts
degree from McGill. She was then appointed as a full-time demonstrator at McGill, since the University refused to appoint her to the higher position of lecturer. She was the first female instructor at McGill.
In 1901, she attended the University of Bonn
and completed the research required for a Ph.D. but was not awarded one since the University did not give Ph.D. degrees to women at the time. Derick also studied at Harvard, the Royal Academy of Science in England, and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts.
She was appointed a full professor by McGill in 1912, becoming the first woman in Canada to achieve university professorship. She introduced the teaching of evolution and genetics to McGill.
She was also a leader in early feminism, fighting for women's right, education, the vote, and work.
Derick died on November 10th, 1941 in Montréal, Quebec. Her tomb stone is there now.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
botanist and the first female professor in a Canadian University.
Born in Clarenceville, Quebec on January 14th, Carrie was educated at the Clarenceville Academy and received her teacher training at the McGill Normal School. She was a school teacher in Clarenceville and Montreal. In 1890, she received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, graduating at the top of her class in natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
with First Rank Honours. (Included in that class were two other notable Canadian women; Elizabeth Binmore
Elizabeth Binmore
Elizabeth Binmore was an educationist from Montreal whose notability comes from her career and her important personal firsts in education....
and Maude Abbott
Maude Abbott
Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott was a Canadian doctor and was one of Canada's earliest female medical graduates and an expert on congenital heart disease....
.) In 1896, she received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from McGill. She was then appointed as a full-time demonstrator at McGill, since the University refused to appoint her to the higher position of lecturer. She was the first female instructor at McGill.
In 1901, she attended the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
and completed the research required for a Ph.D. but was not awarded one since the University did not give Ph.D. degrees to women at the time. Derick also studied at Harvard, the Royal Academy of Science in England, and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts.
She was appointed a full professor by McGill in 1912, becoming the first woman in Canada to achieve university professorship. She introduced the teaching of evolution and genetics to McGill.
She was also a leader in early feminism, fighting for women's right, education, the vote, and work.
Derick died on November 10th, 1941 in Montréal, Quebec. Her tomb stone is there now.
External links
- The Centre for Canadian Studies at Mount Allison University biography of Carrie Derick
- Collections Canada Biography of Carrie Derick
- http://books.google.ca/books?id=BdFuHC3DhwAC&pg=PA204&lpg=PA204&dq=Carrie+Matilda+Derick+%28January+14,+1862+%E2%80%93+November+10,+1941%29&source=bl&ots=XWVaRCom7N&sig=ZnV3msBoP_--m8N3VDUEKF0U_cw&hl=en&ei=ICwITNnyAqb4MqfbjLYE&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Carrie%20Matilda%20Derick%20%28January%2014%2C%201862%20%E2%80%93%20November%2010%2C%201941%29&f=falseBiographical dictionary of American and Canadian naturalists - Carrie Derick]