Maria Mitchell Biography
Maria Mitchell was born on August 1, 1818 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Her parents were Quaker and believed that
both boys and girls deserved an equal right to education. She displayed a talent for math at an early age that didn't go
unnoticed by her father, William. She was always asking questions about the world around her. Although she was a
well behaved and disciplined child, she hated the drabness of education. Luckily, her father decided to open a
school. It was quite unlike the traditional teaching methods. They would take walks up and down the moors and
shores along Nantucket. They would search for birds, plants and shells. This type of learning encouraged Maria to
continue her search for knowledge. Every night she would accompany her Father to the top of the house where they
would study the night sky together.
By the time she was 16, she opened a school for girls. She was also the headmaster of another school on the island.
The teaching styles of her school were very similar to her Fathers. Observation was the basis of how she taught.
This method proved very effective. Her students' curiosity was peaked so that they were eager to find out why. After
sunset they would go out and study the night sky, just as Maria did with her Father. This school lasted for two
years.
Two town leaders noticed Maria Mitchell's talent. Though some criticized her style of teaching, no one could
undermine her intelligence and talent. When she was 18 she was offered a job as librarian at the Athenaeum, the
town's library and center of intellectual activity. She eagerly accepted the job because it meant that she would
have unlimited access to all the books there. Since it was only open on Saturdays and in the afternoon, she would
make time everyday so that she could go to the library and read. She even taught herself French and German so that she
could read scientist's work in those languages.
All these years Maria continued her habit of observing, either on the roof of her house like she and her Father
used to, or by the Pacific shore, when her family moved because he was appointed manger of a bank. One night while a
party was going on downstairs, Maria was observing the sky. She noticed a strange object in the sky. She quickly
ran to get her Father. Through nights of continued observation Maria's suspicions were confirmed, the object she
had seen was comet. The King of Demark was awarding a series of medals for scientific work. He would be offering a
medal to the first person that discovered a comet through a telescope. Through her Father's connections at Harvard
University, she got the award. If you would like to learn more about the processes of getting the medal please
click on Miss. Mitchell's Comet at the top of the page. She received the gold medal one year later. This marked
two firsts. It was the first time for the medal to be awarded to a women anywhere and the first time it was won by
an American. This spread Maria's name though the small but steadily growing scientific community.
She was elected to be a part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was the first women to join. Nantucket suddenly had became an intellectual center. Great philosophers, writers, scholars, and scientists all flocked to the Athenaeum. Maria became friends with a naturist, Louis Asissiz. He recommended her for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was also the first women to join. This strengthened her confidence and research. With all these people coming from all over the world, Maria longed to travel Europe, however a women traveling alone was frowned upon. H.K. Swift, a Chicago banker, wanted his daughter to travel over parts of the U.S. and Europe. He decided that Maria would make the perfect chaperone for his daughter. When Maria was asked she was overwhelmingly excited. She first went to Chicago, then to Mississippi, Savannah and Charleston. After that Maria and Mrs. Swift sailed to Europe.
When Maria traveled to Europe it was 1857. The tensions between the North and the South were rising. " Maria heard Southerners extol the virtues of slavery and she observed the slave markets in the big southern cities. They made her physically ill as the idea of one human being owning another was abhorrent to her. " ( from the PDF in Links) In a letter to her Father she wrote, "I think that the Union cannot last."
In Europe, she went to England, France and Italy. She carried with her the first photo of a star. She meet with famous astronomer and scientists and she brought them letters from her friends in America. After H.K Swifts daughter went home, Maria traveled to Rome with the Hawthorn family. She went to the Vatican Observatory before no women was allowed inside but when Maria asked for permission they allowed her inside.
Once she returned home, she kept herself busy. She went to Maine to learn how to use new instruments. She was appointed field researcher and computer of the Nautical Almanac and she computed the position of Venus. At this time she was the only self supporting American women with a scientific career and international recognition. In 1862 Maria was invited to be the Chair of Astronomy at Vassar the first college for girls in the country. She would be the first member of the faculty. This was very controversial. Many people thought that girls should not go to college. Others thought that girls should go to college but could not be taught properly by female staff. The Civil War delayed the opening of the college but she took her place in1865. She was an excellent teacher but of course she faced many prejudices. To learn more about Maria's experiences at Vassar please click on Maria Mitchell and Women In Science.
Maria stayed at the college until 1888 and died on June 28, 1889.
Today a crater on the Moon (Mitchell's Crater), Maria Mitchell Observatory, a WW II ship (SS Maria Mitchell), the Maria Mitchell Association , and of course, her comet were all named after her. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.
both boys and girls deserved an equal right to education. She displayed a talent for math at an early age that didn't go
unnoticed by her father, William. She was always asking questions about the world around her. Although she was a
well behaved and disciplined child, she hated the drabness of education. Luckily, her father decided to open a
school. It was quite unlike the traditional teaching methods. They would take walks up and down the moors and
shores along Nantucket. They would search for birds, plants and shells. This type of learning encouraged Maria to
continue her search for knowledge. Every night she would accompany her Father to the top of the house where they
would study the night sky together.
By the time she was 16, she opened a school for girls. She was also the headmaster of another school on the island.
The teaching styles of her school were very similar to her Fathers. Observation was the basis of how she taught.
This method proved very effective. Her students' curiosity was peaked so that they were eager to find out why. After
sunset they would go out and study the night sky, just as Maria did with her Father. This school lasted for two
years.
Two town leaders noticed Maria Mitchell's talent. Though some criticized her style of teaching, no one could
undermine her intelligence and talent. When she was 18 she was offered a job as librarian at the Athenaeum, the
town's library and center of intellectual activity. She eagerly accepted the job because it meant that she would
have unlimited access to all the books there. Since it was only open on Saturdays and in the afternoon, she would
make time everyday so that she could go to the library and read. She even taught herself French and German so that she
could read scientist's work in those languages.
All these years Maria continued her habit of observing, either on the roof of her house like she and her Father
used to, or by the Pacific shore, when her family moved because he was appointed manger of a bank. One night while a
party was going on downstairs, Maria was observing the sky. She noticed a strange object in the sky. She quickly
ran to get her Father. Through nights of continued observation Maria's suspicions were confirmed, the object she
had seen was comet. The King of Demark was awarding a series of medals for scientific work. He would be offering a
medal to the first person that discovered a comet through a telescope. Through her Father's connections at Harvard
University, she got the award. If you would like to learn more about the processes of getting the medal please
click on Miss. Mitchell's Comet at the top of the page. She received the gold medal one year later. This marked
two firsts. It was the first time for the medal to be awarded to a women anywhere and the first time it was won by
an American. This spread Maria's name though the small but steadily growing scientific community.
She was elected to be a part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was the first women to join. Nantucket suddenly had became an intellectual center. Great philosophers, writers, scholars, and scientists all flocked to the Athenaeum. Maria became friends with a naturist, Louis Asissiz. He recommended her for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was also the first women to join. This strengthened her confidence and research. With all these people coming from all over the world, Maria longed to travel Europe, however a women traveling alone was frowned upon. H.K. Swift, a Chicago banker, wanted his daughter to travel over parts of the U.S. and Europe. He decided that Maria would make the perfect chaperone for his daughter. When Maria was asked she was overwhelmingly excited. She first went to Chicago, then to Mississippi, Savannah and Charleston. After that Maria and Mrs. Swift sailed to Europe.
When Maria traveled to Europe it was 1857. The tensions between the North and the South were rising. " Maria heard Southerners extol the virtues of slavery and she observed the slave markets in the big southern cities. They made her physically ill as the idea of one human being owning another was abhorrent to her. " ( from the PDF in Links) In a letter to her Father she wrote, "I think that the Union cannot last."
In Europe, she went to England, France and Italy. She carried with her the first photo of a star. She meet with famous astronomer and scientists and she brought them letters from her friends in America. After H.K Swifts daughter went home, Maria traveled to Rome with the Hawthorn family. She went to the Vatican Observatory before no women was allowed inside but when Maria asked for permission they allowed her inside.
Once she returned home, she kept herself busy. She went to Maine to learn how to use new instruments. She was appointed field researcher and computer of the Nautical Almanac and she computed the position of Venus. At this time she was the only self supporting American women with a scientific career and international recognition. In 1862 Maria was invited to be the Chair of Astronomy at Vassar the first college for girls in the country. She would be the first member of the faculty. This was very controversial. Many people thought that girls should not go to college. Others thought that girls should go to college but could not be taught properly by female staff. The Civil War delayed the opening of the college but she took her place in1865. She was an excellent teacher but of course she faced many prejudices. To learn more about Maria's experiences at Vassar please click on Maria Mitchell and Women In Science.
Maria stayed at the college until 1888 and died on June 28, 1889.
Today a crater on the Moon (Mitchell's Crater), Maria Mitchell Observatory, a WW II ship (SS Maria Mitchell), the Maria Mitchell Association , and of course, her comet were all named after her. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.