{"id":4114,"date":"2016-03-03T13:06:19","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T21:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/history\/?p=4114"},"modified":"2016-03-03T13:06:19","modified_gmt":"2016-03-03T21:06:19","slug":"celebrating-women-in-ecology-since-1988","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/history\/2016\/03\/celebrating-women-in-ecology-since-1988\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Women in Ecology–since 1988"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is part of a series for Women\u2019s History Month, March 2016<\/a>. See all related posts.<\/a>
\nIn August 1988, Dr. Jean Harmon Langenheim spoke to ESA members as the Society\u2019s past president. Her speech, The Path and Progress of American Women Ecologists<\/em>, was published in the ESA Bulletin the following December. In the introduction, she wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor my address to the Society, it seemed timely as we approach our 75th Anniversary to chronicle and give tribute to women ecologists. Although women have recently received recognition and attained some prominence in the Society, it is amazing how little we know about the history of women ecologists and their achievements, especially as these have paralleled the changes in society\u2019s view regarding the role of women.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This speech was the culmination of a two-year project. Early in 1986, Dr. Langenheim had begun writing to women soliciting information about their careers and experiences in ecology. The letters, in those days, were individually typed and wording varied, but the example below sent to Dr. Mary Willson (August 1986) is illustrative.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you may know, I was elected to the presidency of ESA last year. Since there have been so few women officers, and I was the only woman president, except E. Lucy Braun, I decided that I would do my Presidential Address on the history of women\u2019s contributions to ecology. This would not only \u201deducate\u201d many, but would also provide the opportunity to give tribute to the accomplishments of women, and to many who have remained essentially \u201cinvisible\u201d (and hence unrecognized). I would like to include you, of course, among those highly accomplished and also recognized women. I would greatly appreciate having from you the following:<\/p>\n