Dr. Marie Clark Taylor (February 16, 1911 – December 28, 1990) was a pioneering African-American botanist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of plant science and science education. Born in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, Taylor demonstrated academic excellence from an early age, graduating with honors from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. in 1929.
Taylor pursued her passion for botany at Howard University, earning her B.S. in 1933 and M.S. in Botany in 1935. Her groundbreaking academic journey continued at Fordham University, where she became the first woman of any race to earn a science doctorate from the institution in 1941. Her doctoral dissertation, titled “The Influence of Definitive Photoperiods Upon the Growth and Development of Initiated Floral Primordia,” focused on the effects of varying light exposure on flower development in different plant species.
Throughout her career, Taylor made significant contributions to both research and education. She served as the Head of the Botany Department at Howard University from 1947 until her retirement in 1976. Taylor’s research on photomorphogenesis laid the foundation for modern greenhouse farming and hydroponic techniques. As an educator, she organized summer science institutes for high school teachers, promoting innovative teaching methods that emphasized hands-on learning with real botanical materials and microscopes. Her efforts to improve science education extended internationally when President Lyndon B. Johnson invited her to teach seminars abroad, including in India.
References:
- https://www.womeninhorticulture.com/post/woman-of-firsts-marie-clark-taylor
- https://fordhamobserver.com/66452/recent/sports-and-health/remembering-the-legacy-of-marie-clark-taylor-ph-d-a-trailblazing-female-botanist-of-color/
- https://dbg.org/marie-clark-taylor/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Taylor
Image: By photographer unknown – Original publication: unknownImmediate source: http://www.gs.howard.edu/quest/spring2008/Text.pdf, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51910021
