Rachel Carson

Born: May 27, 1907, Springdale, Pennsylvania
Died: April 14, 1964 (age 56), Silver Spring, Maryland

Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and nature writer whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement.

What do you know about Rachael Carson?  Take this quick quiz.

1. She also spent a lot of time exploring around her 65-acre farm. She began writing stories (often involving animals) at age eight, and had her first published story. How old was Carson when it was published?

2. What college did she graduated magna cum laude from in 1929?

3. She earned a master's degree in zoology in June 1932. She had intended to continue for a doctorate, but in 1934 Carson was forced to leave Johns Hopkins to search for a full-time teaching position to help support her family. Where did she end up working for?

4. In 1936 became only the second woman to be hired by the Bureau of Fisheries for a full-time, professional position, as a junior aquatic biologist. True or False?

5. In 1960, a duodenal ulcer followed by several infections kept Carson bedridden for weeks, greatly delaying the completion of her book. As she was nearing full recovery in March (just as she was completing drafts of the two cancer chapters of her book), she discovered cysts in her left breast, one of which necessitated a mastectomy. Though her doctor described the procedure as precautionary and recommended no further treatment, by December Carson discovered that the tumor was in fact malignant and the cancer had metastasized. What was the book she was working on?

6. What was the cause of death?

7. Where was Rachael Carson buried?

Check Your Answer

1. 10 years old

2. Pennsylvania College for Women (today known as Chatham University)

3. Temporary position with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries writing radio copy for a series of weekly educational broadcasts entitled "Romance Under the Waters".

4. True

5. Silent Spring

6. Weakened from breast cancer and her treatment regimen, Carson became ill with a respiratory virus in January 1964. Her condition worsened from there: in February, doctors found that she had severe anemia from her radiation treatments, and in March they discovered that the cancer had reached her liver. She died of a heart attack on April 14, 1964, at the age of 56.

7. Parklawn Memorial Park and Menorah Gardens, Rockville, Maryland

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