Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie: On the History of Women in Science

Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie

Marilyn Louise Bailey was born in 1936 probably in Marlow, Oklahoma where her parents, William and Mildred Pate Bailey, were living at the time. William had grown up in Hobart, Oklahoma, but by 1940 he was working in Chickasha, Oklahoma for the Oklahoma State Employment Service.  Mildred was born in Hobart, attended Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha and became a public-school teacher.  By 1950, the family had moved to Kansas City, Missouri where William was a regional supervisor for the US Department of Labor. Marilyn attended Southwest High School where she was involved in school activities including Exchange Editor of the bi-weekly newspaper Trail, Redskin Revels, Choir, Cabinet Member of Y-Teens, Vice President and Secretary of Science Club, Pep Club, Spanish Club, Office Assistant and was on the honor Roll. She graduated in 1953.

In the fall of 1953 Marilyn enrolled at Baker.  She joined Phi Mu sorority and became Vice President in her senior year. Always interested in science, she majored in Biology. She was a member of the Choir, Glee Club where she was Vice President, German club where she served as President and Women’s Athletic Association.  Upon her graduation in 1957 she began her studies in zoology at the University of Kansas.  There she met Philip Woodsworth Ogilvie and the two were married in 1959 in Lawrence, Kansas.  That same year she received a master’s degree in zoology. Marilyn and Philip had three children: Martha (born 1963), William (born 1964) and Kristen (born 1969). The couple was divorced in 1975

From 1957 Baker Yearbook

Marilyn began her career in teaching in 1959 at Phoenix Union High School, Phoenix, Arizona and in 1961 at St. Andrew's College, Tanzania. in 1971 she was appointed assistant professor of history of science, Portland (Oregon) State University.  Marilyn continued her studies and received a PhD in the history of science from the University of Oklahoma in 1973. In 1975 she became an adjunct instructor in American history, Oscar Rose Junior College, Midwest City, Oklahoma.  In 1977 she was named a visiting assistant professor of history of science at the University of Oklahoma. In 1979 she began working at Oklahoma Baptist University and was assistant professor natural science and in 1985 was named chair of the division of natural science and mathematics as well as associate professor natural science. 

In 1991 Dr. Oglivie was named Curator of the History of Science Collections at the University of Oklahoma as well as associate professor of bibliography. As Curator she expanded the holdings of the library from 79,00 to 94,000 volumes.  Along the way she received a master’s degree in library science from the University. 

It was during this period that she began her life’s work as an author of books focusing on the role of women in science. She began a decade of research which culminated in the publishing of her book “Women in Science: Antiquity through the Nineteenth Century” in 1986. This book contains the profiles of 186 women who participated in science of their time and culture. The seed for this book came from a college student who asked the question “Was Marie Curie the only woman in science?”  Of course, there were many others who overcame cultural barriers regarding the role of women to make contributions.  In his review of the book, Chet Raymo of The Boston Globe said: "What comes across is the great love of doing science that many women have shared with men. What is also apparent are the formidable barriers that have been thrown up against them. In 2000 she updated and added to this work with: “The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: Pioneering Lives from Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century

In 1999, she published the book “A Dame Full of Vim and Vigor: A Biography of Alice Middleton Boring, Biologist in China.”   From Amazon reviews: “Alice Middleton Boring was a remarkable woman who lived and worked in remarkable times. This feisty, head-strong scientist spent her life teaching biology in China during some of the most tumultuous times in the country's history. Alice found herself continually distracted from science by civil war, revolution, the Japanese occupation, World War II (involving her internment and repatriation), and the upheaval which resulted in the creation of a new socialist society. Nevertheless, throughout the turmoil she continued to publish scientific papers.  In spite of her experiences, she remained deeply influenced by her time in China long after her return to the United States. Loyalty to the Chinese and an almost evangelical appreciation of her adopted culture permeated the rest of her personal and professional life.”  One reviewer said this about the book “An utterly unique contribution to the fields of the history of science and women in science.”

Next, Marilyn began research on possibly the most famous woman scientist of all time, Marie Curie. Her book “Marie Curie: A Biography” was published in 2004. From reviews on Amazon her book “provides a fast-paced and well-documented portrait of Marie Curie and the world surrounding her.... this book creates a delicate balance between her personal and professional life, and Marilyn is careful in her conclusions from available records. The importance of Marie Curie's pioneering work in radioactivity is described and, while the author is careful to describe and credit Pierre Curie's contributions, she explores the difficulties that Marie Curie had in gaining recognition as a scientist from the establishment.  Curie postulated that radiation was an atomic property, a discovery that has led to significant scientific developments since. She was also the first person to use the term radioactivity. Her perseverance led to the discovery of two new elements, polonium and radium. This combination of creativity and perseverance netted her two Nobel Prizes, one in physics and the second in chemistry.”

In 2021 at age 85, Dr. Oglivie added to work on Marie Curie with “Marie Curie: A Reference Guide to her Life and Works.  From Choice Reviews: “This volume in the publisher's "Significant Figures in World History" series feels like a throwback to an earlier era of reference and information seeking. Ogilvie offers a slim biographical monograph bringing together Marie Curie's personal life and the outlines of her career. The author provides a chronology, a précis of Curie's biography, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The heart of the book consists of brief encyclopedia entries for various people, places, and scientific discoveries that figured in Curie’s life and career… The most helpful feature for readers new to research will be the extensive, thorough, and well-organized bibliography.”

Next, in 2008, she published “Searching the Stars: The Story of Caroline Herschel.”  From Amazon reviews: “Caroline Herschel is best known as the less significant sister of the astronomer William Herschel. Yet the romantic notion of her tirelessly working for her brother while he made his studies of the heavens, documenting his discoveries so he could achieve greatness in the scientific world, couldn't be further from the truth. When Caroline wasn't working as her brother's assistant, she was sweeping the stars with her own small telescope given to her by William. Not only did she unearth three important nebulae, but she discovered no fewer than eight comets in her own right. When William became Astronomer Royal to King George III in 1782, Caroline too received an annual salary, making her the first ever woman to work as a professional scientist. William was made a fellow of the Royal Society in 1781 after discovering the planet Uranus. It wasn't until 1828, but the Society would eventually reward Caroline too, with its Gold Medal. This award would not be awarded to another woman until 1996. This fascinating biography of one of our most outstanding scientists reveals the hardships experienced by a woman pursuing a male profession. Yet how did this unattractive, diminutive woman gain the respect of her professional colleagues, her country and even her king? As Marilyn B. Ogilvie investigates this extraordinary life, the determination, humility and passion of one unremarkable woman come to light.”

In 2018 Dr. Ogilvie published “For the Birds: American Ornithologist Margaret Morse Nice.”  From Amazon reviews: “A first-rate ornithologist, Margaret Morse Nice (1883–1974) pioneered field studies on song sparrows and advocated for women’s active role in the sciences. Yet her nontraditional path toward scientific progress, as well as her gender, meant that she had to reach the highest pinnacles of achievement in order to gain prominence in her chosen field. Luckily for Nice, she was more than up to the challenge. In this engaging first book-length biography, Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie sheds light on Nice’s intellectual journey.

. . . Nice’s career grew in tandem with her personal life—and in some cases, because of it. Although bridled by social constraints, her work spoke for itself: she produced more than 244 papers, articles, and published letters; seven books and book-length monographs; and 3,000 reviews. This voluminous and field-defining output earned her the respect of some of the most important biological scientists of the day, among them Konrad Lorenz and Ernst Mayr, who declared that she had “almost singlehandedly” initiated “a new era in American ornithology.”

Throughout her career Dr. Ogilvie has been active in organizations supporting the history of science and other academic pursuits. She has been a member History of Science Society, American Association of University Professors (secretary, treasurer local chapter, vice president, president since 1981), British Society for the History of Science, American Library Association, Association College and Research Libraries, Phi Sigma, Beta Phi Mu, Sigma Xi, Omicron Delta Kappa.

From Wikipedia: “She was honored on the occasion of her 80th birthday at the Annual Meeting of the History of Science Society in November 2016 as a "leading historian of women in science." According to her colleague Pnina Abir-Am of the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University, Dr. Ogilvie, through her work on biographical dictionaries of women in science, was instrumental in drawing attention to the sheer number of women in scientific fields throughout history.”

From Marilyn B. Oglivie Alumni Graduate Fellowship University of Oklahoma: “On Dec. 31, 2008, Dr. Marilyn B. Ogilvie retired as curator of the University of Oklahoma’s History of Science Collections and professor in the History of Science Department . . . .  A seminal authority and prolific contributor to many fields in the history of science, especially in the examination of women in science, Marilyn has been a superlative teacher and a dedicated servant to the profession, our program and the University. . . . To recognize her outstanding achievements, we are undertaking a private fundraising campaign to endow the Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie Alumni Graduate Fellowship.  The fellowship will provide scholarships for top graduate students and support for their teaching /research.”

Marilyn Bailey Ogilvies’s gift to the world has been to help establish the importance and relevance of the contributions of the women of science and to encourage future generations of scientists. We are proud of the role Baker University may have played in preparing her for her career including the contributions of Baker’s biology professors of the time she spent at Baker, Ivan L. Boyd (for whom the Ivan L. Boyd Center for Collaborative Science Education on the Baker campus is named) and Russ Davee.  Today, Dr. Ogilvie is 89 and resides in Norman, Oklahoma.