Women in Science: Discover Their Legacy through the Digital Public Library of America

Introduction

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the trailblazing women who have shaped history. While women have made significant contributions to science, their achievements have often been overlooked or underrepresented. Fortunately, digital archives like the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) help preserve and share these vital stories. The DPLA’s Women in Science collection provides a fascinating look at the lives and work of female scientists through historic photographs, letters, documents, and audiovisual materials.

How DPLA Brings History to Life

The Digital Public Library of America is a free, online platform that provides access to millions of digitized materials from libraries, museums, and archives across the United States. Its mission is to democratize knowledge by making historical and cultural resources widely accessible to the public. DPLA curates its collections by aggregating content from partner institutions, including photographs, manuscripts, maps, books, and audiovisual materials. Users can explore its archives by browsing thematic collections, searching by keyword, or filtering by subject, format, or location. Whether you're a researcher, educator, student, or history enthusiast, DPLA serves as a valuable resource for discovering primary sources, conducting genealogy research, and exploring American history through a dynamic digital archive.

Engaging with historical photographs, documents, and personal papers brings history to life, transforming it from distant events into tangible, relatable experiences. These materials offer a direct connection to the past, allowing us to see the faces, read the words, and trace the experiences of those who came before us. By exploring these primary sources, we gain a deeper understanding of history—not just as a series of facts, but as lived moments that continue to shape our present.

Exploring the Women in Science Collection

The DPLA organizes its vast collections into easily navigable topics, allowing users to explore curated materials related to specific subjects (this one on photography was captivating!). Each main topic encompasses various subtopics, providing a structured pathway to delve deeper into areas of interest. The Women in Science collection is organized by scientific fields, including medicine, botany, engineering, and social sciences. Below are selected biographies of notable women featured in the collection.

Clara Barton (1821–1912): Humanitarian and Founder of the American Red Cross

Born on December 25, 1821, in Oxford, Massachusetts, Barton began her career in education, teaching at age 15. In 1852, when she was 31, she established a free public school in Bordentown, New Jersey. Her school became so large that it was no longer seen as appropriate for a woman to be a part of the administration. Facing gender-based discrimination, she left teaching and worked as a clerk at the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C., making her one of the first women to work for the federal government.

After several years as a clerk in the Patent Office in Washington, DC, she became a volunteer nurse during the Civil War, organizing efforts to recover lost baggage and securing resources for the Union Army. She later gained permission to cross battle lines, where she distributed supplies, searched for missing soldiers, and provided medical care to the wounded. Throughout the war, Barton traveled with the army, reaching as far south as Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863. In June 1864, she was officially appointed superintendent of nurses for the Army of the James. The following year, at the request of President Abraham Lincoln, she established a bureau of records to assist families in locating missing soldiers.

During a visit to Switzerland in 1869, Clara Barton learned about the Red Cross movement, a European humanitarian organization dedicated to providing neutral aid to wounded soldiers. Moved by its mission, she volunteered with the International Committee of the Red Cross, assisting civilians during the Franco-Prussian War. Her experiences in Europe, combined with her service during the Civil War, motivated her to establish the Red Cross in the United States.

On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. The following year, the United States ratified the Geneva Conventions, establishing protections for wounded soldiers and civilians in conflict zones. This led to a congressional charter, officially recognizing the Red Cross and its humanitarian mission.

Barton served as the organization’s president for 23 years before retiring in 1904. After a lifetime dedicated to service, she passed away at her home in Glen Echo, Maryland, on April 12, 1912.

Delia Silance (1907–1984): Educator and Community Leader

Delia Loretta Silance was born on March 20, 1907, in Lafayette, Indiana, to Louis Napoleon Silance and Emma Florence Smith Silance. Growing up in a family that valued education and community involvement, Delia and her siblings were encouraged to pursue higher learning. She attended the segregated Lincoln Grade School from 1915 to 1921 and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1925, where she excelled academically, earning a $50 scholarship from the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs for her outstanding performance.

Despite facing racial segregation policies at Purdue University—which prohibited Black students from residing in campus housing, participating in certain recreational activities, and accessing dining facilities—Delia persevered. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1932 and received the Dean Shoemaker Award for academic excellence. Encouraged by Dean Carolyn Shoemaker, she continued her studies and obtained a Master of Science degree in Education in 1933, making her the first known African-American woman to graduate from Purdue University.

Delia's commitment to education led her to teach Spanish, English, and history through federal WPA programs during the Great Depression. She also supported her brother Louis's education in pharmacy at Purdue. In the 1940s, she expanded her teaching career to Texas and Tennessee before returning to Lafayette in the late 1950s. There, she worked in Purdue's Division of Educational Reference until her retirement in 1970.

Beyond her professional achievements, Delia was an active social and civic leader. She was a member of the AME Church, serving as president of its Missionary Society, and participated in organizations such as Church Women United and the NAACP. As a leading force in the Mary L. Club, affiliated with the Indiana State Federation of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, she was passionate about awarding scholarships to promising local Black high school graduates. Silance stated, “We realize that what we give is of very little significance financially…but we hope that it will serve to be an incentive to the students to do their best in school and to do something worthwhile with their talents and their lives. Just knowing that someone notices and cares about their accomplishments and ambitions can be stimulating.”

Katherine Esau (1898–1997): Botanist and Plant Anatomist

Katherine Esau was a Russian-born American botanist renowned for her groundbreaking research in plant anatomy. Born on April 3, 1898, in Yekaterinoslav, Russia (now Dnipro, Ukraine), to a Mennonite family of German descent, Esau's early education was disrupted by the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Fleeing the turmoil, her family relocated to Germany, where she continued her studies at the Berlin Agricultural College, graduating in 1922. The following year, the Esau family emigrated to the United States, settling in Reedley, California.

In California, Esau began working on developing a sugar beet resistant to the curly top virus, a project that sparked her interest in plant pathology. She pursued this passion academically, earning her doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1931. Esau then joined the faculty at the University of California, Davis, where she made significant contributions to the understanding of plant structure and function. Her seminal textbook, "Plant Anatomy," published in 1953, became a cornerstone in botanical education.

Throughout her illustrious career, Esau received numerous accolades, including being elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1957 as its sixth female member. In 1989, she was awarded the National Medal of Science, recognizing her extensive contributions to plant biology. Esau continued her research and mentorship until her retirement in 1965 and remained active in the scientific community until her passing on June 4, 1997, in Santa Barbara, California at the age of 99.

Virginia Carter (1936 – 2024): Physicist and Entertainment Executive

Virginia Carter was a Canadian-born physicist, entertainment executive, and openly-gay feminist whose multifaceted career spanned scientific research, television production, and queer and feminist advocacy. Born on November 18, 1936, in Arvida, Quebec, she graduated magna cum laude in mathematics and physics from McGill University in 1958 and later earned a master's degree from the University of Southern California. Carter began her career at Douglas Aircraft Corporation in 1962 before joining The Aerospace Corporation, where she was the sole female physicist conducting research on vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy and high atmospheric conditions over an eleven-year tenure. Carter wrote, "That was the time of my awakening to the problem of discrimination against women. I am the first woman to fly a satellite experiment. It measured in-track air density as a function of altitude, longitude, latitude, and solar activity. My results were important and were reported by the head of my laboratory (Space Physics Laboratory, at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA) without ever mentioning my name. How about that! In a way that didn’t surprise  me because I was becoming acutely aware of the persistent discrimination against women as they struggled against what appeared to be failure in their chosen fields."

In the early 1970s, Carter emerged as a prominent spokesperson for the women's movement, serving as president of the National Organization for Women's Los Angeles chapter and advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment. Her activism led to a connection with Frances Lear, who introduced her to television producer Norman Lear. In 1973, Carter transitioned into the entertainment industry as director of creative affairs at Embassy Television, contributing to iconic sitcoms such as "Maude" and "All in the Family." She was promoted to vice president for creative affairs in 1976 and played a crucial role as a liaison between Lear and gay rights activists, addressing concerns over LGBTQ+ representations in his shows.

Carter passed away on October 17, 2024, in Redondo Beach, California, at the age of 87.

Did you know?

Did you know that Clark County Public Library also has a digital archive? Just like the DPLA, our collections offer access to a diverse range of local history materials, including maps, photographs, company histories, catalogs, early church directories, event programs, and various ephemera. Our archive is continuously updated, so be sure to check back regularly for new collections and additions!

References

“Biographies: African Americans in Tippecanoe County, Part 2 – Tippecanoe County Historical Association | More than a Museum.” https://tippecanoehistory.org/finding-aids/biographies-african-americans-in-tippecanoe-county-part-2/.

“Clara Barton | American Red Cross Founder, Civil War Nurse | Britannica,” February 1, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clara-Barton.

Delia Silance. [Gelatin silver prints]. Indiana, United States. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0175.

Digital Public Library of America. “Women in Science.” https://dp.la/browse-by-topic/women-in-science.

“Katherine Esau, 1898-1997.” https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/katherine-esau-1898-1997.

“Katherine Esau | Plant Morphology, Genetics, Photosynthesis | Britannica,” January 8, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katherine-Esau.

Katherine Esau at the Microscope. [Photograph]. Davis (Calif.). http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt0d5nf0v1.

Quam, Jean K. “Barton, Clarissa (Clara) Harlowe.” In Encyclopedia of Social Work. https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-644.

Space Physicist Virginia Carter in Her Lab at Aerospace Corp. in Calif., 1972. [B&W negative]. https://ursus.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz0002nk2x.

War Department. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Miss Clara Barton. [B&W Negative] http://catalog.archives.gov/id/526057.