Whitney, Mary Watson, 1847-1921

Mary Watson Whitney (b. Sept. 11, 1847, Waltham, MA-d. Jan. 21, 1921, Waltham, MA) graduated from Vassar College in 1868 and received her masters there in 1872. There she met astronomer Maria Mitchell. Whitney became an assistant of Maria Mitchell and, in 1888, became a professor and the director of the observatory there until she retired in 1915. Whitney was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a charter member of the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society. Whitney also believed that science provided strong career opportunities for women.