She Was One Of The Very First Female Chemists In America, And She Was Also The Very First Woman To Be Accepted Into MIT

That same year, she was proposed to by Robert H. Richards, an instructor at MIT’s mineralogy department. Ellen waited two years before accepting his proposal, as she didn’t want marriage to get in the way of work. However, they were finally married in 1875.

Without getting paid, Ellen taught chemistry at MIT between 1873-1878 and raised money to open the Women’s Laboratory there. Her work and efforts were so impressive that MIT finally hired her as an instructor in sanitary chemistry in 1884.

Ellen made tremendous discoveries when she studied pollution in Massachusetts’ drinking water. As a result of her research and findings, the first modern sewage treatment plant was built in Massachusetts.

Ellen wanted to educate women and homemakers on how to use clean water and keep their homes safe from disease, as she acknowledged that women who were trying to make a home were some of the hardest unpaid workers out there.

She wrote books about home economics to help homemakers cook and clean in healthier and sanitary ways. In 1890, she opened the New England Kitchen of Boston, where alongside others studied nutrition and cooking.

During her later years, Ellen founded and served as the president of the American Home Economics Association. She advocated for more accessible access to information and education for women.

In 1910 Ellen was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from Smith College before passing away one year later from heart complications at 68. Her hard work and determination to educate herself and other women in the world at a time when that was very hard to do is very admirable.

If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe

In 1975, This Iowa Elementary School Teacher Mysteriously Vanished While Going Through A Divorce With Her Husband

Her Boyfriend Donated $130,000 To Charity After Receiving His Late Brother’s Life Insurance Payment Instead Of Using It To Pay For His Share Of Their Bills, Which She Covers Completely Alone

New Analysis Dives Deep Into How Youth Social Media Consumption Contributes To A Cycle Of Body Image And Eating Disorder Risks

She’s Saying No To Raising Her Late Sister’s Child Because The Kid Was Born Out Of An Affair Between Her Sister And Her Ex-Fiancé

Princess Diana Left The World A Much Better Place Than When She Entered It, And Here’s A Look At How She Truly Changed The World For Good

Has Anyone Gifted You An Orchid? Let’s Talk About How You Can Properly Care For One, So It’s Not Just Done After A Few Months Of Being In Your Home