Rachel Lloyd: Early Nebraska Chemist

Bull. Hist. Chem.17/18 (1995) RACHEL LLOYD: EARLY NEBRASKA CHEMIST Mr . S. Cr nd h M. Cr , Unvrt f Kn The lead editorial in the University of Nebraska student the first well-trained chemist, H[enry] Hudson newspaper for June 9, 1894 concerned the resignation Nicholson, was hired. The son of Wisconsin farmers, of chemistry professor Rachel Lloyd (1): Nicholson had taken an A.M. at Lawrence College in [r. ld] h n dvlp, lrl b hr ffrt nd ndr hr , n f th lrt hl lb rtr n th Wt. Sh h n hr ltr r rdd b ntht tdnt f ll r nd dprtnt. Sh lv n nln n r, l frnd, bt t b th tdnt tht hr bn ll b t nl flt ... Sh n f th n trtr h tnd nt nl fr n r ln , bt fr dl nd ll hhr ltr. W n ll ffrd t l n f th, fr thr n b n n ln ... In all likelihood Lloyd was the first American woman to take a Ph.D. in chemistry and the first to hold a full professorship in any science at a co-educational state university. She was in Nebraska for only seven years, her career being cut short by fln hlth, but the time was one of development and opportunity, and her con- tributions to the university and the regional agricultural community were notable. Her story has remained elu- sive, however; her early life unknown, and the question of how she got her chance in Nebraska, a matter of spe- cial interest to students of the history of women in chemistry, has gone largely unasked. When Lloyd joined the faculty in 1887 the Univer- sity of Nebraska had been in operation for only sixteen years (2). Student numbers had increased from twenty Rachel Lloyd regular students in the first year (1871-72) to 334 (3). (University of Nebraska Archives) Most of the chemistry classes during the first ten years were taught by the professor of natural sciences, Samuel Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1872 and was to supplement Aughey, a clergyman like many of the early faculty, who his chemical education with further studies throughout had little formal scientific training but a vast amount of the 1880's at Harvard Summer School and the Univer- miscellaneous knowledge, tremendous energy, and un- sities of Heidelberg and Berlin (4). His description of bounded optimism in the future of Nebraska. In 1882 the facilities awaiting his arrival at Lincoln is graphic (5): 10 Bull. Hist. Chem. 17/18 (1995) [Equipment] consisted of a plain pine table on the the firm of Powers and Weightman. Little more than six top of which was a rack of bottles. In one corner of years later Franklin Lloyd was dead. Their two children the room was a cupboard for supplies and in the up- had pre-deceased him, both dying in infancy (10). Rachel per part of the room, near the ceiling, was installed Lloyd then spent some time in Europe and when she a barrel tank for the water service. There were nu- came back, turned to teaching as a way of earning a merous bottles, jugs, demijohns and carboys-- living. Her first position was at the Chestnut Street Fe- mostly empty and unlabeled [sic ] — scattered about the room, and various packets and bottles of chemi- male Seminary in Philadelphia (11). cals, generally open and unmarked, stuffed in the She also continued her education: starting in 1875, cupboards. Of reference books, journals, or even she spent six of the following eight summers at Harvard texts, there were none ... Summer School, which had begun in 1874 and offered courses of intensive instruction in botany, chemistry, and Fortunately he brought with him his private collection geology tailored to the needs of college and high school of apparatus. teachers. Lloyd studied botany during two summers and In the fall of 1883, 295 students, more than ninety chemistry all six (12), specializing in advanced analysis percent of those on the campus, requested chemistry and organic chemistry; latterly she also collaborated with courses. Nicholson's laboratory could accommodate the course organizer, Charles Mabery, in a research twenty (6). The urgent need for more laboratory space project on the synthesis of substituted acrylic acids. The led to the construction of a chemistry building, the sec- work was reported in three substantial joint papers in ond structure on the campus, which opened in the fall the American Chemical Journal (13). In 1883 she be- of 1886. Additional teaching staff being also essential, came professor of chemistry at the newly opened Lou- Nicholson proposed Rachel Lloyd, whom he had known isville School of Pharmacy for Women in Louisville, as a fellow student at Harvard Summer School in 1880 Kentucky, and instructor at Hampton College, a small and 1883 (7). Although Lloyd was well-qualified (she liberal arts college for women, established in Louisville had completed her doctoral studies early in 1887) the in 1877 (14). Nebraska faculty nominating committee hesitated to Lloyd's ambitions reached beyond teaching in a recommend "unconditionally" the hiring of a woman small college, however. In 1885 she resigned from her chemist, and so her initial appointment was a one-year Louisville positions to continue her studies and went to position as acting associate professor of analytical the University of Zurich, which had been open to women chemistry (8). The need for a second chemist was since the 1860's. Thanks to her already considerable quickly becoming even greater than the rapid expan- laboratory experience, she completed her dissertation sion of the undergraduate chemistry classes dictated. reserch in two years (under the direction of Russian- With the passage by the federal government of the Hatch born chemist Victor Merz) and received her degree in Act in 1888, moderate federal support for experimen- 1887 (15). She was then forty-eight. The spring and early tal undertakings at the state Agricultural Experiment summer of 1887 she spent in London, at the Royal Col- Station became available. Consequently the work of the lege of Science (South Kensington) and the School of station, which was carried out by the university faculty Mines. From there she accepted the Nebraska offer. members, was also increasing; Lloyd joined the staff The work for which she became noted was her part as assistant chemist as soon as she arrived in Lincoln. in a systematic examination of the economic feasibility Who was this pioneer among early women chem- of the production of beet sugar in Nebraska (16), a multi- ists? She was born in the small community of Flush- year research and development project carried out by ing, in eastern Ohio, January 26, 1839, the second the staff of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Pre- daughter in the Quaker farming family of Robert and liminary trials of beet culture conducted by the station Abby (Taber) Holloway (9). The Holloways were of in 1873-74 had given discouraging results. Yields of beet English ancestry. Of the four children, she was the only per acre from a test plot on the university farm had been one who survived past infancy, and her childhood and disappointing, and the State Board of Agriculture had youth were marked by one tragedy after another. Her decided against continuing the experiment, despite the mother died when she was five and her father when she more hopeful outlook of the university's professor of was twelve, leaving only her step-mother, Deborah agriculture, S. R. Thompson (17). (Smart) Holloway. She acquired some early education By the late 1880s, however, Nebraska's farmers at the Friends' school in Flushing, and in 1859, at the were becoming somewhat more prosperous; prospects age of twenty, married Franklin Lloyd, a Philadelphian for the introduction of new crops were more favorable, of Quaker background, who worked as a chemist with and a modest but dependable amount of federal funding Bull. Hist. Chem. 17/18 (1995) 11 was available to help support experimental work on the In 1891, with her health beginning to fail, partly project. Furthermore, Nicholson was especially inter- because of overwork, Lloyd gave up her position as as- ested in sugar beets. Obtaining a variety of seed from sistant chemist at the station. She continued to carry a the U.S. Department of Agriculture (18), and from full teaching load at the university however; and, in 1892, France and Germany, where the beet industry was al- while Nicholson had seven months' leave for an exten- ready well established, he distributed it to farmers sive tour of sugar factories and beet farms in Germany throughout the state who were willing to raise test plots and France, she probably served as acting head of the while keeping records of the important variables; these chemistry department. Although she taught her share of included type of soil and seed, weather conditions, cul- more advanced courses (25), she frequently conducted tivation procedures and yields per acre. Lloyd, who had both lecture and laboratory sections of the large, lower- seen at first hand the success of the crop in Europe, level classes, and so had contact with most of the stu- shared Nicholson's enthusiasm for looking into the pos- dents who came through her department (26). She took sibility of beet culture in Nebraska. She undertook re- pains to meet the undergraduates in less formal settings sponsibility for the laboratory work the project en- as well, being an active member of the Camera Club tailed—the determination of the sugar content of the raw and one of four faculty who were members of the popu- product.

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