Rachel Carson (1907-1964). Carson earned the most
accolades, with 120 survey respondents naming her, and
many arguing that her contributions to wildlife biology
and ecology met or even surpassed those of Leopold. In
1936 Carson began her career as a writer and editor in the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and eventually became editor-in-chief of all the agency’s publications. Over the years
she wrote many papers and books on conservation and
natural resources, including a prize-winning study of the
ocean, The Sea Around Us, in 1952. In 1962 Carson published Silent Spring in which she challenged the practices
of agricultural sciences and called for a change in the way
humans viewed the natural world. Carson’s book brought
environmental concerns to the fore. Her work forced
scientists and the general public alike to acknowledge the
damage humans can cause and to reach beyond the proximate to realize the ultimate impacts of our decisions.
Tanzania. Her research upended the paradigm that humans
were the only toolmakers in the animal kingdom. Eventually
chimpanzees and gorillas were classified as hominids due to
her work. Later, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to
increase environmental awareness. Goodall also began the
grassroots- and youth-driven group Roots & Shoots to foster
respect and compassion for living things and to promote humane treatment of animals around the world.
Frances Hamerstrom (1907-1998). A student and
protégé of Aldo Leopold, Hamerstrom in 1940 became the
first woman to receive a master’s degree in wildlife management. During her 60-year career, she wrote 12 books
and published more than 150 papers. An ornithologist, she
specialized in studies of prairie chickens and birds of prey.
Described by Leopold as independent and determined,
Hamerstrom was one of the first women to “crash the
barrier into the all-male wildlife research profession,” according to the late Ray Anderson, a former professor at the
University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point (Burkhart 1998).
Jane Lubchenco (1947- ). A teacher, researcher, mentor, and now the new head of NOAA, Lubchenco has led a
life of service. She has been the Wayne and Gladys Valley
professor of marine biology and a distinguished professor
of zoology at Oregon State University, as well as president
of the International Council for Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Ecological
Society of America. She was appointed by President Clinton
to serve on the National Science Board, where she advised
the president, Congress, and the National Science Foundation from 1996 to 2006.
Continuing the Legacy
All of the women described above and many others have left
their mark on the wildlife profession. Some would argue that
none of these, however, has influenced the field of wildlife
management as significantly as Leopold. There are many
reasons why, ranging from women’s belated entry into the
formal study of the natural world, the newness of the wildlife
field itself, or lingering discrimination against women in science or in jobs requiring outdoor work. Perhaps the answer
is as simple as every field can have only one founder.
Dian Fossey (1932-1985). Fossey graduated from San
Jose State College in 1954 as an occupational therapist.
In 1966, a trip to Africa and a chance meeting with Louis The future holds great promise for women in wildlife pro-Leakey led her to carry out research on mountain gorillas in fessions. Several women cited in my survey are still at work,
the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) and then in influencing the wildlife profession on policy, academic, and
Rwanda. In 1967 she founded the Karisoke Research Center management fronts. Other up-and-coming female wildlife
and in January of 1970, a feature about her in National students and young professionals will have even greater
Geographic magazine brought massive publicity to her opportunities to influence wildlife management in an
cause. Wiping away the Hollywood “King Kong” stereo- increasingly complex world. While there may be room for
type of gorillas, Fossey’s work, including her popular book, only one founder of our profession, the combined contri-
Gorillas in the Mist, helped convince the public that gorillas butions of thousands will lead the way for the future. To
were worth saving. Fossey was a conservationist opposed Leopold, whether a wildlife professional was male or female
to removal of individuals for zoo displays, and supported was unimportant; rather it was “enthusiasm, dedication,
anti-poaching efforts and preservation of natural habitat. and a certain indefinite quality that made a person a wild-
She was tragically murdered in 1985 at her research camp lifer” (Meine 1988).
in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains.
Jane Goodall (1934- ). Dubbed a Messenger of Peace by
the United Nations, Goodall is best known for her 45 years of
studying chimpanzees. She has received over 80 awards and
honors for her environmental and humanitarian work, including 29 honorary degrees. In 1960 the 26-year-old Goodall was
encouraged by Louis Leakey to study wild chimpanzees in
For complete references, the names of all 42 women
cited in Nicholson’s survey, and a video on their contributions to the wildlife profession, see this article online
at www.wildlife.org.
