Mary Pocock
Mary Agard Pocock | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 December 1886 Rondebosch |
| Died | 10 July 1977(aged 90) Grahamstown,South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Alma mater | |
| Scientific career | |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Pocock |
Mary Agard Pocock(31 December 1886 – 10 July 1977) was a South Africanphycologist.
Biography
[edit]Born inRondeboschin 1886 to William Pocock and Elizabeth Dacomb, Mary Pocock attendedBedford High SchoolandCheltenham Ladies' College.[1]Pocock then attended theUniversity of Londonwhere she studiedbotany,receiving her degree in 1908. Following her degree Pocock taught at girls schools inLondonandthe Capebefore continuing her study in 1919; completing an additional honors degree in botany atCambridge.She was a lecturer atRhodes Universityfor a year in 1924, a position which she took up occasionally again during her career. In 1925 she travelled withDorothea BleekfromRhodesiatoLuandacollecting flowering plants which she studied at theRoyal Botanical Gardens, Kewand theBritish Museumupon her return. Travelling back to South Africa, Pocock became interested inalgae,obtaining aPhDon the subject from theUniversity of Cape Townat the age of 46. In 1942 she established Rhodes University'sherbarium (RUH).[2]She studiedVolvoxin particular.[3]Pocock in collaboration withMarion S. Cavebecame the first group to identify how many chromosomes algae have.[4]
An author of over 30 publications on algae, a number of plants are also named after Pocock.[1]She received theLinnean Society's Crisp Medal,[2]and was a fellow of the Linnean Society and theRoyal Society of South Africa.[1]
References
[edit]- ^abcE. J. Verwey (1999).New Dictionary of South African Biography, Volume 1.HSRC Press. p.216.ISBN0796916489.
- ^abMarilyn Bailey Ogilvie;Joy Dorothy Harvey(2000).The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z.Taylor & Francis. p. 1035.ISBN041592040X.
- ^David Kirk (2005).Volvox: A Search for the Molecular and Genetic Origins of Multicellularity and Cellular Differentiation.Cambridge University Press. p. 14.ISBN0521019141.
- ^Cave, Marion S.; Pocock, Mary Agard (1951)."Karyological Studies in the Volvocaceae".American Journal of Botany.38(10): 800–811.doi:10.2307/2438205.ISSN0002-9122.JSTOR2438205.
- ^International Plant Names Index.Pocock.
External links
[edit]- Biography of Mary Pocockat theS2A3Biographical Database of Southern African Science
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
- 1886 births
- 1977 deaths
- 20th-century women scientists
- Alumni of the University of London
- Alumni of University of London Worldwide
- Fellows of the Linnean Society of London
- Fellows of the Royal Society of South Africa
- People educated at Bedford High School, Bedfordshire
- People educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College
- People from Makhanda, Eastern Cape
- People from Rondebosch
- South African phycologists
- Academic staff of Rhodes University
- South African women academics
- University of Cape Town alumni
- Women phycologists