Born: 1914 (Brooklyn, New York)
Died: 1991 (Houston, Texas)
Biography:
Doris Malkin Curtis (January 12, 1914 – May 26, 1991) was an American paleontologist, stratigrapher, and geologist. She became the first woman president of the Geological Society of America (1991) and made meaningful contributions towards Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Doris Malkin Curtis was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 12, 1914. Both her mother, Mary Berkowitz, and father, Meyer Malkin, inspired Doris from a young age to pursue excellence in all areas of life. Curtis enjoyed involving herself in clubs and the community, and this has been a well-known trait of hers since her elementary school days. In her early years, Curtis had a significant involvement with Girl Scouts and she became increasingly involved both as a member and leader. She eventually assumed the position of counselor, acting as a role model for young women.
Curtis attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, where she demonstrated a variety of interests. During her post-secondary academic years, she attended Brooklyn College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Geology in 1933 and went on to earn her master’s degree in 1934 and PhD in 1949 at Columbia University. While completing her PhD, she conducted research in micropaleontology.
Curtis had a lengthy career in the petroleum industry, working for the Shell Oil Company from 1942 until 1979. In 1959, at Shell, she was promoted to the position of senior geologist. She then began her career in academia, where she taught for nearly five years. Curtis also taught at Houston’s Rice University for a few years. Ultimately, her passion for the petroleum industry reunited her with Shell Oil, where she continued to work until 1979. During these years, an energy crisis caused the urgent need for further oil exploration. She then formed a geology consulting firm with her long-time friend/partner Dorothy Jung Echols.
Doris continued to work until her death on May 26, 1991, at the age of 77. She died from pneumonia in Houston at the M.D Anderson Cancer Research Institute – where her career began. In August later that year, her life was celebrated by the staff of the Geological Society of America as her ashes were placed beneath the branches of a spruce tree, which represented the ever-growing impact she made on those she came across.
At a very young age, Curtis excelled in the geological field to pursue her interests further. Furthermore, in 1990, she became the first woman president of an organization called The Geological Society of America, which consisted of roughly 17,000 members. Doris Malkin Curtis was an explorer in her field, working within the Gulf Coast for over 50 years and making contributions throughout her career. Despite the many adversities she faced throughout her life, Curtis consistently pushed the boundaries and became a source of inspiration for future generations of women in the field of geology.
Awards:
– First Woman President of the Geological Society of America (1991)