Anna O'Connor

Woman of the Day physicist and academic Laura Bassi born OTD 1711 in Bologna, the first woman to have a doctorate in science and the first woman to be a salaried professor in a university. There was a restriction though. Of course there was. She wasn’t allowed to teach male students. At no stage of her stellar career was she treated in the same way as her male peers. Laura was a child prodigy. From the age of five, she was taught Latin, French and maths by her cousin. Latin was considered an unusual subject for her to learn. Of course it was. It was the key to knowledge as well a career in science so it was clearly wasted on a mere girl, but she subsequently put it to good use by lecturing and publishing in Latin. From the age of thirteen, the professor of medicine at the University of Bologna tutored her in philosophy, metaphysics, logic, and natural philosophy. On 17 April 1732, 20 year old Laura took part in a public debate at the Palazzo Pubblico (the seat of the local government) with four professors in which she defended no fewer than 49 philosophical theses; providing written answers in Latin to questions posed by the panel and defending them verbally. It was a very unusual kind of exam, far more intensive than the kind experienced by male students. Of course it was. She impressed them. Less than four weeks later, the University of Bologna awarded her a doctorate in philosophy, making the second woman in the world to earn one after Elena Cornaro Piscopia 54 years before. On 27 June that year, Laura went through the same intense and very public grilling and was awarded an honorary post at the University of Bologna as a professor in physics. The same year, she became the first woman to be admitted to any scientific establishment when she was elected to the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna. Laura’s rapid progress through the world of academia hit a snag when she married in 1738 aged 26. Her husband might have been a university lecturer in science with a degree in medicine in his own right but she was undoubtedly the better scientist and worse, as a married woman, she came in for a great deal of criticism. Of course she did. Women couldn’t possibly expect to marry AND continue to hold their fellowships. It went against every expectation and many in Bologna said so. Laura was only allowed to lecture on special occasions if the event was held in public so that women might conceivably attend. She could not lecture regular classes at the University because that meant her being alone with male students. Of course not, etc etc. Ironically, marriage meant she could conduct lectures without such restrictions as long as she did it in her own home. “It is six years since I began giving private physics classes in my house daily, for eight months of the year. I support these myself, paying for all the necessary equipment apart from that which my husband had made when he was lecturing in philosophy. The classes have gathered such momentum that they are now attended by people of considerable education, including foreigners, rather than by youths.” The Academy of Sciences was reorganised by Pope Benedict XIV in 1745 to create a group of 25 Benedettini (leading scientists) who would be expected to present their research regularly. He was a great admirer of Laura’s ability and she was an obvious choice for the 25th post but to confer such an honour on a woman was highly controversial. His compromise? Laura became a Benedettini but without the same voting privileges as the 24 men. Of course…oh, you know the script. Somehow, Laura found the time to combine academic studies and caring for her and her husband’s children: at least eight of them (there may have been more) of whom only five survived to adulthood. She was appointed to the Chair of Experimental Physics at Bologna in 1776 but obviously, it demanded a lengthy debate quite unlike the process applied to male candidates (I feel another “of course” comment coming on…) but it was approved as long as Laura’s husband officially became her assistant. (Add as many “of courses” here as you like). Laura didn’t have long in the prestigious post though. She died just over a year later in 1778 quite suddenly as the result of “an attack in the chest”. Silver laurels were placed on her head and the Benedettini paid tribute to her at her funeral.