She Aimed for the Stars and Touched the Moon
Mary Ellen Murphy, RSM, '50, Ph.D.
NASA Goddard Space Flight center, retired
In the 1940s, few women went to college, and even fewer studied science. At Saint Joseph College, Mary Ellen Murphy turned a love for junior high school chemistry into a gratifying career that allowed her to test moon rocks.
Q. What made your college experience unique?
A. Saint Joseph College was a women's college. There was no competitiveness nor were there gender expectations. Everything was possible. I also had more leadership opportunities. I felt free to run for class president and president of the student government, and I was elected.
Q. How did Saint Joseph College support your career aspiration to be a chemist?
A. My professors introduced me to the American Chemistry Society. I was encouraged to attend meetings and saw that other women were working in chemistry. I was excited by the breadth of the research presented, and had my first glimpse of my field, Organic Geochemistry.
Q. How did your college years prepare you for success at work?
A. Being in leadership roles in college made me more confident. In my first job at The Travelers, I was recognized for my competence and was allowed to excel right away. I conducted tests involving boilers, waters, asbestos, lead, and solvents, and made several discoveries that helped the company identify risks before there were accidents.
Q. Of all the chemists in the U.S., how did you come to analyze the moon rocks?
A. One of my jobs required me to test meteorites. The experience was transferrable, and I was a natural choice. Of course, I jumped at the chance.
"In the '40s, Math and Science were for men. But I always expected to be a chemist, and my years at Saint Joseph College just confirmed my ambition. No one ever told me I couldn't do it. So I did."
Q. What were you testing the rocks for and what did you find?
A. NASA asked me to look for chemicals in the rocks that came from or could support life. So, I used the same methods I used for testing meteorites to identify and extract organic chemicals. You have to be extremely careful testing something as rare as moon rocks because there's not much to work with and contamination is easy. I found hydrocarbons, but no real evidence of life.
Q. How is Saint Joseph College part of your life today?
A. I am still teaching at Saint Joseph College and am presently on the board of trustees and contributing to the future of the College in many small but effective ways. There were just six Chemistry majors in my graduating class. We've remained a close-knit group, keeping in touch and getting together every few years. What's great about Saint Joseph College is that it still offers so many opportunities for leadership and a chance to pursue any topic, even if you're the only one interested. I'd go back in a second!
Sister Mary Ellen holds an M.A. from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Fordham University. She is currently a Visiting Scientist, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Saint Joseph College.
