Edith M. (Edith Marion) Patch

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 27, 1876, Edith Marion Patch became one of the leading early entomologists in the United States. She studied at the University of Minnesota and began her career teaching English before moving into scientific work, eventually helping establish entomology at the University of Maine.

Patch is especially remembered for her research on aphids and for her long association with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. She published extensively as a scientist, and her work earned wide recognition at a time when relatively few women held prominent positions in the field.

She also wrote books that brought animals and the outdoors to general readers and children, including Bird Stories and Hexapod Stories. That mix of rigorous science and inviting storytelling makes her an especially interesting figure for listeners who enjoy nature writing as well as biography.