Thelma Finlayson
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Thelma Finlayson (''née'' Green; June 29, 1914 – September 15, 2016) was a Canadian
entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
. She was one of the first female scientists to work at a federal government's research branch and was Simon Fraser University's first professor emerita upon her retirement in 1979.


Early life and education

Finlayson was born on June 29, 1914. Finlayson earned her
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in Biology from the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in 1932. She later received a certification in Taxonomy and Biological Control by ARPE in 1971 and an LLD from Simon Fraser University in 1996.


Career

After graduating, Finlayson attempted to earn a position at Dominion Parasite Laboratory, which she was refused based on her gender. She eventually changed their minds and became one of the first female scientists to enter the federal research branch. While she was originally an unpaid volunteer, in the end Finlayson earned $50 a month as long as she worked weekends and holidays. However, her position was short-lived as she married fellow entomologist Roy Finlayson and was subsequently requested to leave. This was at the same time that WW2 ended and women were displaced from the workforce. As her husband was chronically ill and unable to work, she refused the request and set a human rights precedent for the Federal Civil Service regarding her right to work. She was also subsequently promoted to Research Scientist in 1964. Finlayson stayed with Dominion Parasite Laboratory until 1967 when she moved to
Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. She became Simon Fraser University's (SFU) first female faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences. While at SFU, she helped found their Centre for Pest Management, which led to two species of insects being named after her. The insects are an oakworm moth (named ''Anisota finlaysoni'') and a wasp (named ''Mesopolobus finlaysoni''). Originally an assistant professor and curator of entomology, Finlayson was promoted to full professor in 1976. She was also Director and President of the Entomological Society of BC. Upon her retirement, she became SFU's first Professor Emerita. Despite retiring, Finlayson stayed involved with SFU. In 1983, she was appointed as Special Advisor at the SFU Academic Advice Centre which she held until 2012. She also established the Finlayson Chair in Biological Control. In 2005, Finlayson was the recipient of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...
. Two years later, she received the 2007 YWCA Women of Distinction. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Chancellor's Distinguished Service award. In 2012, SFU honoured Finlayson by naming their new student centre after her. The next year, she was elected a Fellow of the Entomological Society of Ontario. Finlayson died on September 15, 2016.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finlayson, Thelma 1914 births 2016 deaths Canadian entomologists University of Toronto alumni Simon Fraser University faculty Members of the Order of Canada Women entomologists Women centenarians 20th-century Canadian women scientists Canadian centenarians