Eileen Mary Guppy: Difference between revisions

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From:  Miss Eileen Guppy c.1904–1980
From:  Miss Eileen Guppy c.1904–1980
In  1927  two  women  with  degrees  in  Geology  were  appointed   as   technical   assistants.   One   in   the   Palaeontology Dept and the other Miss Eileen Guppy in the Petrological Dept. Miss Guppy graduated in Geology from  Bedford  College  around  1925.  She  subsequently  worked for the next two years as research assistant to Prof Leonard Hawkes at the College, publishing a paper in  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geological  Society  of  London.  
 
In  1927  two  women  with  degrees  in  Geology  were  appointed as technical assistants. One in the Palaeontology Dept (Eileen Mary Lind Hendriks (1887–1978) and the other Miss Eileen Guppy in the Petrological Dept. Miss Guppy graduated in Geology from  Bedford  College  around  1925.  She  subsequently  worked for the next two years as research assistant to Prof Leonard Hawkes at the College, publishing a paper in  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geological  Society  of  London.  


Originally  she  was  employed  by  the  Survey  as  an  Assistant.  However  by  1935  she  was  of  sufficient  status  to  be  given  the  job  of  organising  the  entire  move  of  the  Petrology  rock  and  thin  section  collections from the old Museum of Practical Geology in  Jermyn  Street  to  the  new  Geological  Museum  in  Exhibition  Road.  Almost  certainly  because  of  her  gender  and  despite  her  qualifications  she  worked  mostly as an assistant to senior staff firstly the Chief Petrographer  and  later  with  the  Director.  She  was  renowned  for  her  thoroughness  and  attention  to  detail  and  much  of  her  work  was  collating  and  organising    data    and    creating    and    checking    bibliographiese.g.    for    the    significant    Memoir    “Chemical analyses of igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and minerals (1931)”. She worked for the Director Sir John Flett and did much of the work for the centenary book “The first hundred years of the  Geological  Survey  of  Great  Britain”  published  in  1937.  She  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  assistant geologist in 1943 and thus became the first woman geology graduate to be appointed to the scientific staff of the Survey. However, despite her abilities Miss Guppy was summarily demoted after the war. It is not clear if this was related to completion of ‘war duties’ or DSIR regulations!   
Originally  she  was  employed  by  the  Survey  as  an  Assistant.  However  by  1935  she  was  of  sufficient  status  to  be  given  the  job  of  organising  the  entire  move  of  the  Petrology  rock  and  thin  section  collections from the old Museum of Practical Geology in  Jermyn  Street  to  the  new  Geological  Museum  in  Exhibition  Road.  Almost  certainly  because  of  her  gender  and  despite  her  qualifications  she  worked  mostly as an assistant to senior staff firstly the Chief Petrographer  and  later  with  the  Director.  She  was  renowned  for  her  thoroughness  and  attention  to  detail  and  much  of  her  work  was  collating  and  organising    data    and    creating    and    checking    bibliographiese.g.    for    the    significant    Memoir    “Chemical analyses of igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and minerals (1931)”. She worked for the Director Sir John Flett and did much of the work for the centenary book “The first hundred years of the  Geological  Survey  of  Great  Britain”  published  in  1937.  She  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  assistant geologist in 1943 and thus became the first woman geology graduate to be appointed to the scientific staff of the Survey. However, despite her abilities Miss Guppy was summarily demoted after the war. It is not clear if this was related to completion of ‘war duties’ or DSIR regulations!   

Revision as of 13:11, 1 August 2020

Eileen Mary Guppy

Timeline

24th May 1903 Born
c. 1924 Graduated in geology from Bedford College
1927 Appointed Technical Assistant
1943 Promoted to Assistant Geologist
1946? Reverted to Senior Experimental Officer
1966 Retired
1966 Awarded MBE
8th March 1980 Died

Biographies and obituaries

Eileen Guppy - Wikipedia article

Gibson, Hazel. Eileen Guppy: The First Woman Geologist in the British Geological Survey. Trowelblazers web article.

Publications

Guppy, E.M.. Hawkes, L. 1925. A composite dyke from eastern Iceland. In: Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London Vol 81 pt/no 2 (1925) p 325-343, p 325-343

Guppy, E.M. Thomas, H.H. Ennos, F.R.. Sutcliffe, R.. 1931. Chemical analyses of igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and minerals. London: HMSO -

Guppy, E.M. 1944. Boracite from a boring at Aislaby, Yorkshire. In: Mineralogical Magazine Vol 27 pt/no 184-194 (1944) p 51-53, p 51-53

Guppy, E.M. Phemister, J. 1945. Rock wool. - London: HMSO. (Special reports on the mineral resources of Great Britain; 34)

Guppy, E.M. Phemister, J. 1949. Rock wool (2nd edition). London: HMSO. (Special reports on the mineral resources of Great Britain; 34)

Guppy, E.M. Sabine, P.A. Geological Survey of Great Britain. Dunham, K.C. 1956. Chemical analyses of igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and minerals, 1931-1954. - London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. (Memoirs of the Geological Survey, Great Britain)

Sabine, P.A. Guppy, E.M. Sergeant, G.A.. Institute of Geological Sciences. 1969. Geochemistry of sedimentary rocks, 1: Petrography and chemistry of arenaceous rocks. - London: HMSO. (Report (Institute of Geological Sciences (Great Britain)); 69/1)

Guppy, E.M. British Geological Survey. 2000. BGS Archives GSM1/718 : Biographical notes on Geological Survey staff: British Geological Survey report WO/00/004. -(Selected Documents from the BGS Archives; 2)

BGS archives

Ref No Title Description
GSM/GL/We/5 Correspondence with F.L.Kitchin and E.M.Guppy
GSM/GL/Wt/2 Correspondence: letters to T.Eastwood, J.S.Flett, E.M.Guppy, G.H.Mitchell, J.Pringle, C.J...

Eileen Mary Guppy

From: Miss Eileen Guppy c.1904–1980

In 1927 two women with degrees in Geology were appointed as technical assistants. One in the Palaeontology Dept (Eileen Mary Lind Hendriks (1887–1978) and the other Miss Eileen Guppy in the Petrological Dept. Miss Guppy graduated in Geology from Bedford College around 1925. She subsequently worked for the next two years as research assistant to Prof Leonard Hawkes at the College, publishing a paper in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London.

Originally she was employed by the Survey as an Assistant. However by 1935 she was of sufficient status to be given the job of organising the entire move of the Petrology rock and thin section collections from the old Museum of Practical Geology in Jermyn Street to the new Geological Museum in Exhibition Road. Almost certainly because of her gender and despite her qualifications she worked mostly as an assistant to senior staff firstly the Chief Petrographer and later with the Director. She was renowned for her thoroughness and attention to detail and much of her work was collating and organising data and creating and checking bibliographiese.g. for the significant Memoir “Chemical analyses of igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and minerals (1931)”. She worked for the Director Sir John Flett and did much of the work for the centenary book “The first hundred years of the Geological Survey of Great Britain” published in 1937. She was promoted to the rank of assistant geologist in 1943 and thus became the first woman geology graduate to be appointed to the scientific staff of the Survey. However, despite her abilities Miss Guppy was summarily demoted after the war. It is not clear if this was related to completion of ‘war duties’ or DSIR regulations!

She continued, however, working in a unique position as a personal scientific assistant at Senior Experimental Officer grade to the Directors Sir William Pugh and Sir James Stubblefield. Latterly she worked as Secretary for the new Atomic Energy Division and during 1963 - 1965 she worked with Inspectors from the Public Record Office evaluating the older records from the Geological Survey and Museum. When she retired in 1966 she was awarded the MBE for her loyal service.

Eileen Mary Guppy

from Freedom and Equality – Women in Geology

Miss Eileen Guppy (c.1904–1980), an accomplished petrologist and analytical chemist, was promoted to assistant geologist in 1943 and became the first female geology graduate to be appointed to the scientific staff of the Survey. However, despite her abilities Miss Guppy was summarily demoted after the Second World War. It is not clear if this was related to completion of ‘war duties’ or to Department of Scientific and Industrial Research regulations! However, she continued as a personal scientific assistant to the Survey Director. Latterly she worked with inspectors from the Public Record Office evaluating the older records from the Geological Survey and Museum. When she retired in 1966 she was awarded the MBE for her loyal service. It is noteworthy that the archives reveal that Miss Hendricks and Miss Guppy (both were unmarried as, officially, female Survey officers had to resign on marriage up until 1975) made significant contributions to Survey publications, but their authorship was not credited on the majority of the published volumes.