Carlotta Maury

Carlotta Joaquina Maury (January 6, 1874 – January 3, 1938) was a geologist, stratigrapher, paleontologist, and was one of the first women to work as a professional scientist in the oil and gas industry. Prejudice against professional women at the time did not affect Maury due to her extensive knowledge, recognized technical skills, and capabilities.

Carlotta Joaquina Maury was born on January 6, 1874 in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Maury's father was the Reverend Mytton Maury, a direct descendant of the Reverend James Maury and one of the sons of Sarah Mytton Maury. Maury's mother was Virginia Draper, a daughter of Antonia Coetana de Paiva Pereira Gardner and Dr. John William Draper. Maury was also the granddaughter of John William Draper and a niece of Henry Draper, both pioneering astronomers. She was the younger sister of astronomer Antonia Maury.

Maury was educated at Radcliffe College from 1891 to 1894, she later attended Jardin des Plantes in Paris from 1899 to 1900 and Columbia University. After spending a year at Sorbonne for post-graduate studies, she completed her PhD at Cornell University in 1902, making her one of the first women to receive her PhD in paleontology.

Upon completion of her degree, Maury started teaching at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, New York in 1900. She went on to become a paleontologist assistant at Columbia University in 1904 and a lecturer in geology at Columbia College and Barnard College until 1912.

...
Wikipedia