Edith M. (Edith Marion) Patch

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1876, Edith Marion Patch became an American entomologist, teacher, and writer. She studied at the University of Minnesota, later earned advanced degrees from the University of Maine and Cornell University, and built a groundbreaking scientific career at the University of Maine.

Patch is especially remembered as a pioneer for women in science: she organized the entomology work at Maine, led the department there, and became the first woman president of the Entomological Society of America. Alongside her research on insects, she wrote books that introduced children and general readers to nature in an inviting, accessible way.

Her writing has an easy, observant spirit that matches her scientific background. Whether she was explaining birds, insects, or seasonal changes outdoors, she had a talent for turning close attention into lively reading.