Cora Jipson Beckwith (24 March 1875 - 9 January 1955) was an American

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

who was a researcher and professor at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

in New York.

Life

Beckwith was born in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

to William Griswold Beckwith and Maria A. Jipson. She began her Vassar College teaching career in 1900 after her graduation from

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

. She continued her postgraduate studies while still teaching at Vassar College, gaining an M.A. in biology from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in New York City in 1908, and her PhD, also from Columbia, in 1914.

Research

Her

cytology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living an ...

research primarily concerned bowfin (''Amia calva'') and the lateral cell lines of these bony fish. She also worked on the cytology of the

germ cell A germ cell is any cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually. In many animals, the germ cells originate in the primitive streak and migrate via the gut of an embryo to the developing gonads. There, they unde ...

s of certain

hydroids Hydroids are a life stage for most animals of the class Hydrozoa, small predators related to jellyfish. Some hydroids such as the freshwater '' Hydra'' are solitary, with the polyp attached directly to the substrate. When these produce buds, ...

, and published papers describing her findings in the academic journal, ''

Biological Bulletin ''The Biological Bulletin'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the field of biology. The journal was established in 1897 as the ''Zoological Bulletin'' by Charles Otis Whitman and William Morton Wheeler. In 1899 the title was changed ...

''. Beckwith's teaching career at Vassar College began when she was appointed an assistant professor in 1900. She was later named a full professor and was chair of the zoology department when she retired in 1940. Later she became a Professor Emeritus, known for her teaching of histology, embryology and cytology.

Final years

After Beckwith retired from teaching, she remained at Vassar for ten years, continuing her residency in Williams Hall, where she looked after the students living there. In 1950, she moved to Washington, D.C. to live with her two sisters who were already there. She died 9 January 1955 in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, at the age of 79, and was buried in the family plot in Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Memberships

She was a life member of the

Marine Biological Laboratory The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution that was independent ...

Woods Hole Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwestern corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population was 78 ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

where "in her younger days she had spent many summers."

Selected works

* 1907 ''The Early Development of the Lateral Line System of Amia Calva'' * 1909 ''Preliminary Report on the Early History of the Egg and Embryon of Certain Hydroids'' * 1914 ''The genesis of the plasma-structure in the egg of Hydractinia echinata'' * 1920 ''Note on a peculiar pancreatic bladder in the cat'' * 1927 ''The effect of the extirpation of the lens rudiment on the development of the eye in Amblystoma punctatum, with special reference to the choroid fissure''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckwith, Cora Jipson 1875 births 1955 deaths American women biologists American cell biologists Vassar College faculty Columbia University alumni Michigan State University alumni American women academics