Ruth Myrtle Patrick was an American botanist and limnologist specializing in diatoms and freshwater ecology.
13 Facts About Ruth Patrick
2.
Ruth Patrick authored more than 200 scientific papers, developed ways to measure the health of freshwater ecosystems and established numerous research facilities.
3.
Ruth Patrick was the daughter of Frank Patrick, a banker, and lawyer.
4.
Ruth Patrick often took Ruth and her sister on Sunday afternoons to collect specimens, especially diatoms, from streams.
5.
Ruth Patrick's mother insisted that she attend Coker College, a women's school in Hartsville, South Carolina, but her father arranged for her to attend summer courses, through fear that Coker would not provide satisfactory education in the sciences.
6.
Ruth Patrick continued to work there for many years and was regarded as a talented and outstanding scientific administrator, in addition to her other scientific contributions.
7.
Ruth Patrick was a pioneer in the use of biodiversity to determine a body of water's overall health.
8.
Ruth Patrick was an advocate for clean water, including helping develop the guidelines for the US Congress Clean Water Act.
9.
Ruth Patrick's work has been widely published and she has received numerous awards for her scientific achievements.
10.
Ruth Patrick's upcoming 100th birthday at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA.
11.
In 2009, Ruth Patrick was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
12.
Ruth Patrick retained her maiden name when writing scientific papers, at her father's request.
13.
Ruth Patrick's husbands were Charles Hodge IV and Lewis H Van Dusen Jr.