Edna Mosher (July 20, 1878 – May 7, 1972) was a Canadian entomologist and lepidopterist known for her pioneering work on Lepidoptera

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in thei ...

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines * Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts * Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...

Early life and education

Edna Mosher was born in July 1878 at Kempt Shore, Hants County, Nova Scotia to John Fulton and Margaret Harvie Mosher. She learned natural history from her father and grandfather, and her mother and grandmother taught her horticulture. From an early age, she expressed a desire to teach. She graduated from Provincial Normal School. Her initial attempts to attend a university were hindered by the fact she was a woman. In 1905, she began a class in gardening at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

. She was then able to obtain permission to pursue a degree in science. At Cornell, she studied

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

and

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

; it is where she first took entomology. After graduating with a

Bachelor's of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in 1908, she obtained a fellowship in entomology at the University of Illinois. She earned her

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

in 1913. She was denied a fellowship for a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

because she was a woman. The

Illinois Natural History Survey The Illinois Natural History Survey (abbreviated as INHS), located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in Champaign, Illinois, is an active research institution with over 200 staff members, and it maintains one of th ...

offered her work, which she excepted. In 1914, she was granted a fellowship that would allow her to turn her work with the Illinois Natural History Survey into a

doctoral dissertation A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

. In 1915, she was awarded a doctorate, and her thesis ''A Classification of the Lepidoptera based on characters of the pupae'' was published as a major bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History. Her doctoral advisor was . Mosher's thesis, considered pioneering at the time, remains a definitive work on Lepidoptera.

Career

Edna Mosher taught school in Nova Scotia from 1902–1905 to earn enough to pay for her own education. After earning her Bachelor's degree, Mosher was a supervisor of nature study and school gardens until 1910. She taught for a time at Gary, Indiana. In 1913 she began work for the Illinois Natural History Survey. In 1915 she worked at the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station for a summer. Following that, she was an instructor at Illinois, Ohio State University, and eventually the University of New Mexico. At the University of New Mexico, she became a Professor of Biology and later

Dean of Women The dean of women at a college or university in the United States is the dean with responsibility for student affairs for female students. In early years, the position was also known by other names, including preceptress, lady principal, and adviser ...

. In 1923, after her mother fell ill, Mosher moved to Garden City, New York where she taught biology at

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York. Adelphi also has centers in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County. There is also a virtual, online campus for remote students. It is the oldest institution of higher ed ...

until retirement in 1942. She died May 7, 1972, in

Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. The community has a history dating back to its use by the Mi'kmaq Nation for sev ...

Awards and honors

Mosher was the first woman fellow of the Entomological Society of America, in 1920.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosher, Edna 1878 births 1972 deaths Canadian lepidopterists Women entomologists University of Illinois alumni Cornell University alumni Ohio State University faculty University of Illinois faculty University of New Mexico faculty American university and college faculty deans Women deans (academic) People from Hants County, Nova Scotia Adelphi University faculty 20th-century Canadian zoologists 20th-century Canadian women scientists Canadian women biologists Canadian expatriate academics in the United States Fellows of the Entomological Society of America