Winifred Betts
New Zealand botanist and university lecturer (1894–1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Winifred Aitken (née Betts; 11 May 1894 – 29 April 1971) was a New Zealand botanist. She was the first female lecturer at the University of Otago.[1]
11 May 1894
Winifred Aitken | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Winifred Betts 11 May 1894 Nelson, New Zealand |
| Died | 29 April 1971 (aged 76) Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland |
| Occupations | Botanist and university lecturer |
| Known for | First female lecturer at the University of Otago |
| Spouse | |
Biography
Born in Nelson on 11 May 1894, Betts was the daughter of printer and stationer Alfred George Betts and Ada Betts (née Grindley).[1][2] Known to friends as Winnie, she was educated at Nelson College for Girls and received her Bachelor of Science (1916) and Master of Science (1917)[3] degrees from the University of Otago. On her graduation, she received the National Research Scholarship that was awarded at the university each year, which offered her an income of £100 a year, plus lab expenses, so she could conduct independent research.
Betts was appointed university lecturer in botany in 1920 at age 25, the first woman to earn that designation.[4] She was described by the pre-eminent botanist Leonard Cockayne as “the most brilliant woman scientist in New Zealand".[3][4]
Also in 1920, she married another Otago graduate, the mathematician Alexander Aitken, and the couple remained in New Zealand as Winnie Aitken continued her botany lectures until 1923.[4] In December 1923, the couple moved to Scotland so her husband could pursue his academic career; subsequently, he was named professor of mathematics at the University of Edinburgh.[4][5]
Recognition
In 2017, Betts was selected as one of the Royal Society of New Zealand's "150 women in 150 words".[7]