Martha Whiteley of Imperial College, London: A Pioneering Woman Chemist

Abstract

Martha Whiteley (1866–1956) was one of the most important women chemists in the United Kingdom in the first half of the 20th century. In a male-dominated field, she was an academic on the staff of a co-educational university, Imperial College, London, where she carried out research of her own choosing, rather than assisting a male professor. She played a critical role in securing the admission of women to the Chemical Society and thus gaining public acknowledgment for their role as research chemists. Later, she undertook editorial work on the multi-volume Thorpe’s Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, becoming the senior editor. Both by her example and her activities, she encouraged women to strive for equal recognition in the field of chemistry. Her contribution to science has been widely recognized and Imperial College named a suite in the conference center in her honor in 2007.