Dr. Effa Funk Muhse (19 June 1877 - 7 February 1968) was an American biologist. She was the first woman to obtain a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

. While at Indiana, she studied

gland In animals, a gland is a group of cells in an animal's body that synthesizes substances (such as hormones) for release into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland). Structure De ...

s in

toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...

s. After earning her degree, she went on to promote the National Woman's Party in Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Chicago. Later she became a

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

teacher at Chevy Chase School and Junior College. Chevy Chase School and Junior College later named a science building after her.

Early life and education

She was born to Eliza Bair and Laban Funk in

Blachleyville, Ohio Blachleyville is an unincorporated community in Wayne County, Ohio, Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Ohio. History Blachleyville was laid out on December 16, 1833 by Drs. William Boyd Blachley Sr and Jr, and named for Blachley Sr. It was surveyed ...

in June 1877. They moved to Hebron, Indiana. While there, she attended Hebron High School (Indiana) in 1894. She briefly attended Northern Indiana Normal School until she quit to teach. She started college at Indiana University, Bloomington in 1900. While at Indiana University, she was a member of the Graduate Club and

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

. In 1903 she completed her

A.B. 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 ...

She continued her studies at Indiana University by completing her

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in 1906. Initially she pursued her

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 teach an ...

. However, she transferred back to

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...

and completed her

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, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

in 1908 under the instruction of Carl Eigenmann and

Charles Zeleny Charles H. Zeleny (17 September 1878 - 21 December 1939) was an American zoologist of Czech descent. He was a professor at the University of Illinois. He made important contributions to experimental zoology, especially embryology, regeneration, an ...

. This resulted in her becoming the first women to get a PhD from the Indiana University.

Career

After Muhse finished her dissertation, she spent time lecturing on a range of topics including rural sanitation. Later she became a member of the National Woman's Party where she became a

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

to increase women's voices in politics. She worked in Pennsylvania in 1915 and in Idaho in 1916. From 1921 to 1927 Muhse taught at a variety of institutions. One of those institutions was

National Park Seminary National Park Seminary — later called National Park College — was a private girls' school open from 1894 to 1942. Located in Forest Glen Park, Maryland, its name alludes to nearby Rock Creek Park. The historic campus is to be preserved as t ...

where she taught home economics and domestic arts. From 1927 until her retirement in 1948, Muhse taught biology at Chevy Chase School and Junior College. She was successful in increasing female attendance in her biology classes.

Works

* The Eyes of the Blind Vertebrates of North America. VI. The Eyes of Typhlops Lumbricalis (Linnæus), a Blind Snake from Cuba (1903) * The Cutaneous Glands of the Common Toad (1909) * Heredity and the Problems in Eugenics: A Report of the Subcommittee on Eugenics

Personal life

Muhse was the oldest of five siblings. She had three sisters and two brothers. She married Albert Charles Muhse in 1899. They co-authored a piece called "Unpolished Rice".

Later life and legacy

Her funeral took place at Central Christian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana). After she retired from Chevy Chase School and Junior College, a building was named after her.

Awards and achievements

* Member of the American Association for Advancement of Science * Member of

* Member of Sigma Xi * Member of the Eugenic Education Services Society of London * Member of Biological Society of Washington * Emeritus faculty of Chevy Chase School and Junior College (1948)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhse, Effa 1877 births 1986 deaths American biologists People from Ohio Women zoologists Women biologists Suffragettes Indiana University alumni