Carrie Matilda Derick (January 14, 1862 – November 10, 1941)
Early life
Carrie Matilda Derick was born on January 14, 1862 in Clarenceville, in the Eastern Townships of Canada East (now Quebec), the daughter of Frederick Derick and Edna Derick (born Colton).
Her mother’s lineage traced back to the United States, while her father’s side reflected a mix of United Empire Loyalist, Dutch, German, and Scotch roots. One ancestor in particular, her grandfather Philip Derick, arrived in the Eastern Townships in 1783 after leaving the newly formed United States as a Loyalist settler. She began teaching by the age of fifteen.
In 1889, Derick pursued a Bachelor of Arts at McGill University. Her academic strengths during this period spanned zoology, classics, and natural science. Her period of study in Germany also included time at the Universities of Munich and Berlin, supported by a McGill grant. This made Derick the first woman both at McGill University and in Canada to achieve university professorship. She was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, vice president of the Natural History Society of Montreal, and a member of the Botanical Society of America, the American Genetics Association, the Montreal Philosophical Club, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Executive Committee of the National Council of Education, and the first woman on the Protestant Committee of Public Instruction, Quebec, from 1920 to 1937.
- J. C. Weston Prize, given during her teacher training for exceptional academic achievement.
- Logan Gold Medal in Natural Science, awarded in 1890 for earning the highest standing in natural science at McGill University.
Professional recognition
- Appointment as professor at McGill University in 1912, one of the earliest professorships granted to a woman in Canada.
- Professor Emerita title in 1929, recognizing decades of scientific teaching and the introduction of genetics into Canadian university curricula.
- Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, marking international acknowledgement of her scientific work.
- Service as vice-president of the Natural History Society of Montreal, reflecting her leadership in regional scientific circles.
Governmental and civic honours
- Designation as a National Historic Person by the Government of Canada in 2007, recognizing her national significance in science and women's rights.
- Rue Carrie-Derick in Montreal, named in 1991 in the Sud-Ouest borough to honour her contributions to education and scientific advancement.
- Rue Carrie-Derick in Laval, Quebec, officialized in 2023 in the Sainte-Rose district in recognition of her role as a pioneer of genetics.
- Parc Carrie-Derick in Sherbrooke, named in 2017 and officialized in 2021 as part of an education-themed neighbourhood plan.
Memorial awards and scholarships
- Carrie M. Derick Award for Graduate Supervision and Teaching at McGill University, recognizing excellence in graduate mentoring and instruction.
- McGill Alumnae Carrie Derick Scholarship, awarded to a distinguished woman student in the Faculty of Science at McGill University.
Public commemorations and cultural recognition
- A Google Doodle released in 2017 for her 155th birthday.
- STM Route 21 "Carrie-Derick", a historical bus route in Montreal named for her and introduced in 2002 as part of service to the city's Technoparc district.
- Inclusion in Quebec heritage and women-in-science projects that highlight women who advanced science, health, and education.<br />
See also
- Timeline of women in science
References
External links
- Biography of Carrie Derick from The Centre for Canadian Studies at Mount Allison University
- Collections Canada Biography of Carrie Derick
- Gillett, Margaret. "Carrie Derick (1862-1941) and the chair of botany at McGill." Despite the odds: Essays on Canadian women and science. Ed. Marianne Gosztonyi Ainley. Montreal: Véhicule Press, 1990, 74–87.
- Gillett, Margaret. We walked very warily: A history of women at McGill. Montréal: Eden Press Women's Publications, 1981.