Mary Louisa Willard · Lablypedia

Early life and education

Mary Louisa Willard was born May 19, 1898, at Moffat Cottage on the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) campus in State College, Pennsylvania, to Joseph Moody Willard and Henrietta Nunn. Her father was a mathematics professor at Penn State and is the namesake of the Willard Building on campus. After graduating from high school, she initially enrolled at Mount Holyoke College. However, she returned home when her father fell ill with anemia, and subsequently decided to continue her education at Penn State.

In 1921, she became one of three women to graduate from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, and that same year, she joined the chemistry department as an assistant. In 1923, when she completed her master's degree in organic chemistry, she was promoted to instructor. She took time off to pursue doctoral studies at Cornell University, where she earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1927 under the mentorship of William Ridgely Orndorff. Her doctoral thesis focused on the condensation reactions of ortho-hydroxy aromatic aldehydes with cyclic ketones, and was published in 1929 in the "Journal of American Chemical Society."

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Career and research

After completing her Ph.D., Willard returned to Penn State in 1927 as an assistant professor. She was one of only four women teaching in the chemistry and chemical agriculture departments at the time. She was promoted to full professor in 1938 and served on the faculty until her retirement in 1964. She was well known for her microscopy research and for her dedication to student mentorship.

Willard's expertise in micro-chemical analysis led her to become involved in forensic work, which began in 1930, when a Scranton judge approached her to examine a whiskey sample confiscated during a prohibition raid. Soon after, she was asked to analyze paint found on a robbery suspect's clothing in Wilkes-Barre and compare it to paint at the crime scene. These early successes launched her reputation in forensic chemistry, and she quickly became a go-to expert for cases across Pennsylvania and beyond.

Over the ensuing decades, she aided local and international law enforcement agencies in cases involving arson, forgery, poisonings, and homicides, often providing her services pro bono. She employed a range of, what was then, advanced techniques in her forensic investigations, including ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. While she did not invent these techniques or instruments, Willard was among the first to apply them systematically to criminal investigations, laying the foundation for modern forensic science. Her consulting work garnered international recognition, leading to collaborations with organizations such as Interpol, Scotland Yard, and the Sûreté.

Notable contributions and legacy

Willard published more than 40 scientific articles on chemistry and criminology as well as laboratory manuals on chemical microscopy. Among her publications was a short monograph on Pioneer Women in Chemistry. In 1942, she was appointed Assistant Editor of the journal Mikrochemie (Mikrochemica Acta), a position she held for many years. She gave numerous public talks throughout her career–not only on chemistry and forensic science, but also on women in science, and topics such as hair and fur analysis.

Honors and awards

She was a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She also held memberships in the American Crystallographic Association, American Microscopical Society, American Microchemical Society, and the American Forensic Society.

Willard received many honors during her life:

1946 – First woman to chair the analytical and microchemistry division of the American Chemical Society
1955 – Second woman to receive the Scroll of Honor from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Chemists
1957 – Honorary member of the Fraternal Order of Police
1959 – First individual recognized by Penn State for "excellence in teaching"
1965 – Penn State's Woman of the Year
1968 - Beta Sigma Phi’s Woman of the Year
1969 - Received an honorary doctorate of Science from Western College for Women
1971 – First woman admitted to membership in Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity
1992 - State College High School’s Distinguished Alumni Award

She was a founding member of the IOTA chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (1947), and held memberships in Sigma Delta Epsilon, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, Iota Sigma Pi, and Beta Sigma Phi. Willard also belonged to numerous academic and civic organizations including American Association of University Professors, the American Association of University Women, Altrusa Club, the Business and Professional Women's Club, Daughters of American Colonists, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

In 2009, the Mary Willard Trustee Scholarship was established at Penn State's Eberly College of Science to support students with financial need, with preference given to forensic science majors. In 2021, the Nu Chapter Alumni of Alpha Chi Sigma established the Mary L. Willard Scholarship Fund in the Eberly College of Science.

Personal life

Beyond her professional endeavors, Willard was known for her vibrant personality. She was often seen driving her pink Cadillac around State College and was famous for hosting annual birthday parties for her cocker spaniels, inviting neighborhood children to join the celebrations. She also tended to her rose garden, where she cultivated 96 species of roses. Willard never married and did not have children. She died on April 17, 1993, and was survived by nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. Her papers are located in the University Archives of Pennsylvania State University.