Sophy I. Parfin (April 22, 1918October 28, 1966) was an American entomologist associated with the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With 4.4 ...

Early life and education

Sophie Ivanovna Parfinowich was born in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, the daughter of Russian immigrants John Parfinowich and Anastasia Hamego Parfinowich. She had an older sister, Olga; their mother died in 1919.Gurney, Ashley B., and Luella M. Walkley
"Sophy I. Parfin (1918-1966)"
''Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington'' 69(2)(June 1967): 190-192. via Internet Archive Her father worked at a

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

plant. She graduated from Meriden High School in 1935, attended Bethel Junior College and earned a bachelor's degree in zoology and a teaching certificate from Wheaton College in 1939. She earned a master's degree at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

. Her master's thesis was titled "The ''

Megaloptera Megaloptera is an order of insects. It contains the alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies, and there are about 300 known species. The order's name comes from Ancient Greek, from ''mega-'' (μέγα-) "large" + ''pteryx'' (πτέρυξ) "wi ...

'' and ''

Neuroptera The insect order (biology), order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera is grouped together with the Megaloptera (alderflies, f ...

'' of Minnesota" (1949). Parfin continued her education through her adulthood, taking courses in English, Russian, botany and medical entomology at the

Newark College of Engineering New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a Public university, public research university in Newark, New Jersey, United States, with a graduate-degree-granting satellite campus in Jersey City. Founded in 1881 with the support of local indust ...

, the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production ...

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

, and the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

Career

Parfin taught school as a young woman, in Connecticut and Maine. She worked as a mechanical engineer during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, in

Kearny, New Jersey Kearny ( ) is a town in the western part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and a suburb of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 41,999, an increase of 1,315 (+3.2%) from the 2010 census cou ...

. From 1944 until her retirement in 1960, Parfin was an assistant curator and preparator at the National Museum of Natural History. She studied aquatic ''Neuroptera'' (fish flies), and the "bionomics of ant-lions". She was secretary of the Washington chapter of

Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), formerly known as Sigma Delta Epsilon (ΣΔΕ), is an international professional organization for women in science. It was established as a scientific women's fraternity in 1921 at Cornell University, United State ...

, and a member of the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances Justice, equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide Social net ...

and the

Entomological Society of Washington The Entomological Society of Washington was organized on February 29, 1884 at a meeting called by three entomologists employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Charles Valentine Riley, Eugene Amandus Schwarz, and Leland Ossian Howard, in Ri ...

Personal life

Parfin retired from the Smithsonian at age 42, with worsening

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

that affected her ability to work in a museum or laboratory. She died in 1966, in

New Britain, Connecticut New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol ...

, at the age of 48. There is a collection of her papers in the library of the University of Minnesota.

Publications

* "The ''Megaloptera'' and ''Neuroptera'' of Minnesota" (1952) * "Additional records for '' Brachypanorpa carolinensis (Banks) (Mecoptera: Parnopidae)''" (1955) * "The spongilla-flies, with special reference to those of the Western Hemisphere (''Sisyridae, Neuroptera'')" (1956, with Ashley B. Gurney) * "Taxonomic notes on ''Kimminsia'' (''Neuroptera; Hemerobiidae'')" (1956) * "Notes on the bionomics of the ''

Mantispidae Mantispidae (), commonly known as mantidflies, mantispids, mantid lacewings, mantisflies or mantis-flies, is a family of small to moderate-sized insects in the order Neuroptera. There are many genera with around 400 species worldwide, especially ...

'' (''Neuroptera: Planipennia'')" (1958)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parfin, Sophy 1918 births 1966 deaths American women entomologists Bethel University (Minnesota) alumni University of Minnesota alumni American people of Russian descent 20th-century American zoologists 20th-century American women scientists Scientists from New Haven, Connecticut Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni Smithsonian Institution people Graduate Women in Science members