Born: 1859 (Brockton, Massachusetts)
Died: 1950
Biography:
Marcia Anna Keith (1859–1950) was a physicist, teacher of physics to women, and a charter member of the American Physical Society since its founding in 1899. Born in Brockton, Massachusetts on September 10, 1859, Marcia Keith was the daughter of Mary Ann and Arza Keith. She attended Mount Holyoke College and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1892. Keith also pursued further education as a special student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1887 and 1889. In addition, she studied at the University of Berlin from 1897 to 1898 and attended the University of Chicago in the summer of 1901.
Keith’s teaching career began in 1876 when she taught in the public school system of Massachusetts until 1879. In 1883, she became a science instructor at the Michigan Seminary in Kalamazoo, where she taught until 1885. Keith then transitioned to teaching mathematics at Mount Holyoke College, eventually becoming the school’s first full-time teacher in the physics department. She served as the head of the department from 1889 to 1903. In 1904, Keith taught at Norton, and from 1905 to 1906, she taught at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.
Marcia Keith played a crucial role in the education of women in the field of physics. She is credited as one of the pioneers who introduced individual laboratory work to students, contributing to a more hands-on approach to learning. Keith also established the physics colloquium at Mount Holyoke, aiming to raise awareness among students about the emerging field of physics.
Apart from her teaching career, Keith conducted research on the physics of heat transmission in gases at low temperatures. Her investigations made valuable contributions to the understanding of this field.
Keith’s dedication to advancing physics extended beyond her teaching and research. She was a charter member of the American Physical Society and actively participated in its establishment in 1899. In fact, she was one of only two women, the other being Isabelle Stone of Vassar, who attended the founding meeting of the society.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Marcia Keith came from a close-knit family. She had four sisters named Lucy, Mary Helen, Sarah Emma, and Cora Frances. Additionally, she had a niece named Mary Keith Warren.
Marcia Anna Keith’s influence on women’s education in physics and her significant contributions to the field of physics make her a notable figure in women’s history. Her tireless efforts to promote education and research in physics have paved the way for future generations of women in science.