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Effa Muhse

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Dr. Effa Funk Muhse (19 June 1877 - 7 February 1968) was an American biologist. She was the first woman to obtain a PhD from Indiana University. While at Indiana, she studied glands in toads. After earning her degree, she went on to promote the National Woman's Party in Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Chicago. Later she became a biology teacher at Chevy Chase Junior College which later named a science building after her.

Dr. Effa Muhse
Muhse in 1903
Born
Effa Funk

June 19, 1877
Blachleyville, Ohio, US
DiedFebruary 7, 1968 (aged 90 years)
Wooster, Ohio, US
Resting placeWooster Cemetery
Other namesElla, Effie
Alma materA.B. Indiana University, Bloomington (1903)

A.M. Indiana University, Bloomington (1906)

PhD Indiana University, Bloomington (1908)
Known for1st women to be granted PhD from Indiana University
SpouseDr. Albert C. Muhse
Scientific career
FieldsZoology, Civic Engagement
InstitutionsNational Park Seminary Chevy Chase School and Junior College (1927-1948)
ThesisThe Cutaneous Glands of the Common Toad (1908)
Doctoral advisorCarl Eigenmann, Charles Zeleny

Early life and education

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She was born to Eliza Bair and Laban Funk in Blachleyville, Ohio in June 1877.[1] They moved to Hebron, Indiana.[2] While there, she attended Hebron High School (Indiana) in 1894. She briefly attended Northern Indiana Normal School until she quit to teach.[1] She started college at Indiana University, Bloomington in 1900. While at Indiana University, she was a member of the Graduate Club and Phi Beta Kappa.[3][4] In 1903 she completed her A.B. She continued her studies at Indiana University by completing her Master's degree in 1906. Initially she pursued her PhD at Cornell University.[5] However, she transferred back to Indiana University Bloomington and completed her PhD in Zoology in 1908 under the instruction of Carl Eigenmann and Charles Zeleny.[6] This resulted in her becoming the first women to get a PhD from the Indiana University.[7][8][9]

Career

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After Muhse finished her dissertation, she spent time lecturing on a range of topics including rural sanitation.[10] Later she became a member of the National Woman's Party where she became a suffragette to increase women's voices in politics.[11] She worked in Pennsylvania in 1915 and in Idaho in 1916.[12][13] From 1921 to 1927 Muhse taught at a variety of institutions.[1] One of those institutions was National Park Seminary where she taught home economics and domestic arts.[14] From 1927 until her retirement in 1948, Muhse taught biology at Chevy Chase College and Seminary later called Chevy Chase Junior College.[15][16] She was successful in increasing female attendance in her biology classes.[2]

Works

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  • The Eyes of the Blind Vertebrates of North America. VI. The Eyes of Typhlops Lumbricalis (Linnæus), a Blind Snake from Cuba (1903)[17]
  • The Cutaneous Glands of the Common Toad (1909)[18]
  • Heredity and the Problems in Eugenics: A Report of the Subcommittee on Eugenics[19]

Personal life

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Muhse was the oldest of five siblings.[20][21] She had three sisters and two brothers. She married Albert Charles Muhse in 1899. They co-authored a piece called "Unpolished Rice".[22]

Later life and legacy

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Her funeral took place at Central Christian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana). After she retired from Chevy Chase School and Junior College, a building was named after her.[23]

Awards and achievements

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  • Member of the American Association for Advancement of Science
  • Member of Phi Beta Kappa[4]
  • Member of Sigma Xi[24]
  • Member of the Eugenic Education Services Society of London
  • Member of Biological Society of Washington[25]
  • Emeritus faculty of Chevy Chase School and Junior College (1948)[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ferrara, Amanda (December 14, 2015). "Effa Funk Muhse: First Woman Ph.D. at Indiana University – Blogging Hoosier History". Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  2. ^ a b "Effa Funk Muhse". indianapublicmedia.org. March 23, 2009. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  3. ^ "Arbutus. 1903". p. 114. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Phi Beta Kappa. 1911. p. 16.
  5. ^ "Indiana University bulletin". Vol. 2. November 1904. p. 83. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  6. ^ "Register of Graduates". Indiana University Bulletin. Vol. 6. 1911. p. 16. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  7. ^ "Thursday, January 17, 2020 by Indiana Daily Student - idsnews - Issuu". issuu.com. 16 January 2020. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  8. ^ "First PhD Awarded to Coed in 1908". Indiana Alumni Magazine. March 1, 1963. p. 15. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  9. ^ Women at Indiana University: 150 Years of Experiences and Contributions. Indiana University Press. July 5, 2022. pp. 95, 103n63.
  10. ^ "Farmers' Institutes". The Republican. June 13, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  11. ^ "Detailed Chronology National Woman's Party History" (PDF). Library of Congress. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  12. ^ The Cornell Women's Review (1 ed.). November 1915. p. 153.
  13. ^ "Chevy Chase College to Honor Dr. Muhse". Washington Evening Star. May 8, 1948. pp. A-12. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  14. ^ National Park Seminary A Junior College (Incorporated) for Young Women. Baltimore: Thomas-Ellis Company. 1923. p. 14.
  15. ^ "Faculty & Staff | Chevy Chase Historical Society". www.chevychasehistory.org. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  16. ^ "Social Activities Continue After Busy Club Season". Washington Evening Star. June 13, 1948. p. 12. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  17. ^ Muhse, Effa Funk (1903-10-01). "The eyes of the blind vertebrates of north america. vi. the eyes of typhlops lumbricalis (linnæus), a blind snake from cuba". The Biological Bulletin. 5 (5): 261–270. doi:10.2307/1535784. ISSN 0006-3185. JSTOR 1535784.
  18. ^ a b Muhse, Effa Funk (1909). "The cutaneous glands of the common toads". American Journal of Anatomy. 9 (1): 321–359. doi:10.1002/aja.1000090111. ISSN 0002-9106.
  19. ^ Muhse, Effa Funk (March 1915). "Heredity and the Problems in Eugenics: A Report of the Subcommittee on Eugenics". The Journal of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. 3 (2): 51–71.
  20. ^ "Effa Funk", United States census, 1880; Boone township, Porter, Indiana, United States; page 16, line 11-14, enumeration district 145, National Archives film number T9. Retrieved on September 28, 2022.
  21. ^ "Effa Funk", United States census, 1900; Boone Township, Porter, Indiana; page 14A, line 20-25, enumeration district 79, National Archives film number T623-398. Retrieved on September 28, 2022.
  22. ^ Muhse, Albert C. and Effa F. (1922). "Unpolished Rice". Good Health. No. 57. pp. 53–58. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Turner Hall". 4-hhistorypreservation.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  24. ^ Sigma Xi Quarter Century Record and History 1886 - 1911. Chicago: The Lakesior Press. pp. 377, 437.
  25. ^ Directory of Washington Academy of Sciences 1911. Vols. For have title:Directory of the Washington Academy of Sciences. Published by the Academy. 1911. p. 52.
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