Photo of Eunice Newton Foote

Eunice Newton Foote

1819 - 1888
Physics
USA USA

Personal Information

Born: 1819

Died: 1888

Country of Birth: USA

Nationality: USA

Ethnicity: White

Education

Emma Willard School/Troy Female Seminary; Rensselear School

Professional Life

Field of Study: Physics

Institution/Corporation: none

Degrees & Memberships: none

Awards & Achievements

Awards: none

Achievements: a signer of the Declaration of Sentiment; 1 of 5 women who published the proceedings of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848; in 1856 published a paper demonstrating the absorbtion of carbon dioxide & water vapor & hypothesized that altering the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would alter the climate; that paper was the 1st publication in a major scientific journal by a female in physics & predated Tyndall s greenhouse effect by 3 years; published her 2nd paper on static electricity in atmosperic gases in 1857; 1st female to have a paper published in the Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1857); now recognized as the earliest known scientific researcher to demonstrate the existence of greenhouse gases & their potential to effect changes in climate

1st scientist to discuss the Greenhouse Effect

Signer of the Declaration of Sentiments in Seneca Falls & 1 of the editors of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention

Published the 1st scientific paper in a science journal by a female in the field of physics

Her contributions to science were forgotten for almost a century before being re-discovered by female academics in the 20th century

Her works pre-dated those of John Tyndall by 3 years; he was previously credited with discovering the Greenhouse Effect

She was a distant relative of the scientist Sir Isaac Newton

Was educated at Troy Female Seminary, a pioneering women's prep school

Designed & built a lab in her own home

Held 6 patents in her husband's names as women of that time were not allowed to hold patents