Women in "American Men of Science7' A Tabular Study from t h e Sixth Edition ALICE WWPERMAN1 The University of Texas, Austin, Texas ERTAIN information has been compiled and can Men of S d e n ~ e "with ~ a view to using i t as an tabulated concerning the women listed in "Ameri- indication of whether or not it is advisable for women
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Present address: 411 west 116th Street, Box 228, New York City.
The Science Press, New Yark City. 1938.
a CATTELL
AND
CATTELL,"American men of science." 6th ed..
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Field* Chcmistv Biochemistry Physical chemistry Physiological chemistrl Food chemi~try
Anatomy P.th0lOkg Medicine Internal medicine Comparative neurology Dermstology Pharmacology Psychistry Geology ArchmlogY Ethnology Physics Astrmomy optics Nutrition Home economics Mathe-tia Physical metallurgy Totnlll % of 800
* The terms vsed in giving the 6dds of work are those gium in the book
t Include. "omfeuor." "dean." "head of deoartment." ete. i n c ~ ~ d cv&ioiou. . types, fro& "research as&iate" ta "director research.D laeludes research workem and technical workers in federal and state bureaus of all sorts. Ilocludes such de~ignationsas '*chemist." "technician." "breteriologist." ''analyst:' "dietitian." and "metallurgi~t." 7 Includes "curator." "lihmrinn." "legal or patent worker," "aritez," "editor." "reeretary." and perhaps others.
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students to undertake the study of chemistry as a major The type offering next greatest opportunity is that of field. It was decided to tabulate only the fields of research worker. 131. or 16.37 per cent of the women work, the type of work in each field, and the degrees being listed under that heading. Next comes government service, with 59, or 7.37 per cent of the women held. There were 800 women listed out of a total of 28,000 being listed under this heading. Government service entries (2.9 per cent). These have been divided into of course includes many research workers. From Table 3 may be seen that by far the greater barious fields of work. Table 1 shows these, with the number of women engaged in each type of work in the number of women who have attained prominence in scientific fields hold the doctorate d e g r e d l l having different fields. As may be seen from Table 1, the greatest number the Ph.D., 39 the M.D., and 18 the Sc.D.-a total of of women listed have done their work in some branch 668 out of 800. Apart from any consideration of the scientists listed of biology, 382 out of 800, or 47.75 per cent, giving in "American Men of Science," the number of women some branch of botany, zoology, or biology. The next greatest number are in chemistry, 171 giving "chem- active in such fields as home economics, biochemistry, istry," and a total of 56 giving some branch of chemis- and bacteriology is probably much greater than those try. This makes a total of 227 out of 800, or 28.37 per in the physical sciences. But the data here given show that, other things being equal, the probability cent. The number of women in each field is given in of attaining prominence is greatest in chemistry, being 17 times as great in chemistry as in home economics, descending order in Table 2. and more than three times as great as in nutrition. Thus we may conclude that the most favorable types TABLB 2 of scientific work available to women are teaching, reN r n ~ ~ P WOYBN 01 E N O I O B D I N E A E a P ~ L Ow D WOll. search work, or government service, in the following Chemistzy 171 fields: chemistry, botany, zoology, bacteriology, or Boteoy 113 nutrition. The possession of an advanced degree, and zoology 92 Bacteriology 60 all that it implies, increases the probability of a woman's Nutrition 52 attaining prominence in scientific work. Physiology 43 A"
TABLB 3 DIORBBSHELDBY WOUBNin V~azonsF I ~ L D P Geology Astronomy Pathology Entomology Home economlo Physical chemistry Cytology plant pathology Genctica Physiological chunktry Histology Internal medidnc Medicine rhnt p h y s i o ~ a ~
others
18 16 10 10 10 9 8 8 7 0 5 6
6 5 13
800
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The preponderance of chemists was somewhat surprising, as one might suppose that the number of women would be greater in bacteriology, botany, home economics, etc. However, according to a statement in the preface to the book, the approximate order of decreasing frequency in the book as a whole (men and women) is as follows: chemistry, physics, zoology, botany, geology, mathematics, pathology, astronomy, psychology, physiology, anatomy, and anthropology. From Table 1also may be seen that the type of work offering greatest opportunity of recognition for women is teaching; of the 800 women listed, 510, or 63.75 per cent, were teachers. The only types of work in which teachers did not predominate were medicine, with 3 physicians and one teacher; plant pathology, with 4 in government service and 2 teachers; and psychiatry, archeology, ethnology, optics, and physical metallurgy, with one each, none of whom were teachers.
Chemistry Biwhemirtry Physical chemistry Physiologid chemistry Food chemistry Bacteriology Biology cytology intol logy
Botany Plant patholow Plant physiology Zmlogy
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140 35
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