The Remarkable Life and Career of Ellen Swallow Richards: Pioneer in Science and Technology

Chapter 10

Cupid Pops into the Laboratory

“It is becoming recognized that a woman has a personality that is not in her husband’s control, that the mere act of marrying him does not make her his devoted slave.”

~ Ellen Swallow Richards

“I wish I were triplets,” Ellen said with a sigh. She would have liked longer days, too. Her responsibilities and heavy workload, both from MIT and from home in Worcester, were enormous. With so much to do and with so little rest, romance wasn’t foremost on her mind in the spring of 1873. It was, however, on the mind of one handsome young professor, ironically one who had felt conflicted about the issue of co-education.

When Ellen arrived to begin her studies at MIT, Robert Hallowell Richards, chairman of the Mining Engineering Department, liked her right away. Nevertheless, having women attend a college or scientific institute alongside men was something he struggled with. He tried to sort out his thoughts in his journal. He wrote: “Statement: Men and women together—introduces feelings and interests foreign to lecture room.” Next to that he wrote: “Answer: But these feelings do less harm there (Swallow), than in cars and street corners.” Then again he wrote: “Statement: Together in the family—why not in the school?” Appearing to become even more muddled, Robert awkwardly followed that statement with: “Answer: Mother warmly interested in each one. Teacher cannot be. Numbers great.” (Robert apparently had a way to go in clarifying his position on co-education.) ...