Raisin, Catherine (1855–1945)

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Raisin, Catherine (1855–1945)

English geologist. Name variations: Catherine Alice Raisin. Born April 24, 1855, in London, England; died July 12, 1945; studied zoology with T.H. Huxley and geology with T.G. Bonney at University of London, earning a BS, 1884, and becoming the 2nd woman to earn a DSc, 1898.

The 1st woman to head a geology department at a university in Britain, began career as a demonstrator at Bedford College, University of London (1886–90), then served as head of the geology department (1890–1920), head of the botany department (1891–1908), resident vice principal (1898–1901), and head of the geography department (1916–20); published in many journals (1887–1905), including Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society and Geological Magazine; made a fellow of Linnaean Society (1906) and London Geographical Society (1919).