Born: 29 April 1869, United States
Died: 24 September 1963
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Mary Agnes Meara, Mary Agnes Merrill
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Mary Agnes Chase was an American botanist specializing in agrostology, the study of grasses. Despite limited formal education beyond elementary school, she advanced her career at the United States Department of Agriculture, starting as an illustrator under Albert Spear Hitchcock and eventually becoming a Senior Botanist, overseeing the USDA’s Systematic Agrostology department.
Chase conducted fieldwork in Europe and South America, authored books like “The First Book of Grasses: Simplifying Grass Structures for Beginners” (later translated into Spanish and Portuguese), and received recognition, including a Certificate of Merit from the Botanical Society of America in 1956.
Beyond her botanical work, Chase actively supported women’s suffrage, participating in demonstrations organized by the Silent Sentinels, a group linked to the National Woman’s Party. Despite facing resistance within the scientific community for her involvement, Chase remained steadfast in her commitment to women’s suffrage.