#WCW Maria Mitchell, 1818-1889
First female astronomer in the U.S. She discovered a comet in 1847, the third woman in the world to do so. (Caroline Hershell and Maria Margarethe Kirch of Germany also discovered comets.) Maria Mitchell’s accomplishments were celebrated at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 as a role model for women in science. She was the first woman named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She taught astronomy at Vassar and co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Women in 1873.
"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry." --Maria Mitchell