User:Megandesormeaux12/Headwig Thusnelda Kniker

Early life[edit]
Hedwig Thusnelda Kniker was born on November 13, 1891, in Gay Hill, Texas, to German immigrants Reverend Carl Kniker (1858-1935) and Mrs. Natalie Kniker (1861-1941) and was one of seven children. Her parents served at St. Paul Evangelical Church (now known as St. Paul United Church of Christ) in Cibolo, Texas from 1892 to 1934.

Education[edit]
She graduated as valedictorian from the Opera House School in New Braunfels in 1908 and became a teacher in Washington County. In 1913, Kniker enrolled at the University of Texas (UT). She graduated with a B.A. degree in German, psychology, and geology in 1916 and received her M.A. in 1917. She was the second student and the second woman to earn a graduate degree from the department and then continued her study of paleontology at Cornell University and the University of Chicago before returning to Austin.

Career[edit]
Her professional career began in 1920. Kniker worked at the Bureau of Economic Geology at UT until 1920, at which time she moved to Houston to work for Texaco. In 1927, Kniker moved to San Angelo, where she worked for Phillips Petroleum, as well as Ricker and Dodson. In 1930, she moved to San Antonio and became an independent consultant. In 1941, Kniker moved to Punta Arenas, Chile to work for the United Geophysical Company. Kniker returned to the United States to retire in Seguin, Texas in 1950 and 1970 moved to San Antonio.

Major Discoveries and Scientific Contributions[edit]
Kniker joined Johan Udden at the BEG in 1920 after completion of her MA on Cretaceous bivalves under Francis L. Whitney. Her primary work was based on Cretaceous and Tertiary well cuttings. Later, she got involved with Joshua Beede in the study of Permian-aged fusulinids and their stratigraphic significance. She then spent about twenty years in Patagonia developing an oilfield for Gulf Oil, gaining international recognition for her work.

Hedwig Thusnelda Kniker has written and co-written numerous papers that have contributed to science. She wrote an article on Comanchean and cretaceous Pectinidae of Texas (1918), co-wrote an article on subsurface stratigraphy of the coastal plain of Texas and Louisiana, and co-wrote species of the genus schwagerina and their stratigraphic significance. Women in UT Geology | Jackson School of Geosciences | The University of Texas at Austin (utexas.edu) Kniker is credited, along with three other women, with the first major breakthrough in foraminiferal micropaleontology and they changed the course of stratigraphy and the economics of petroleum exploration. They created oil jobs for 300 micro-paleontologists and influenced the increase of micropaleontology courses in 31 geology departments. They also made micro-paleontologists mandatory for every oil company and drilling project and Kniker founded a micropaleontology lab in Punta Arenas, Chile.

It’s worth noting at this time women were not yet allowed to vote and were still viewed as extensions of their fathers and/or husbands. While these women were working on revolutionizing how oil and gas companies mine for hydrocarbons they were still being discriminated against based on their sex. Women were not allowed to work in or near the oil wells at this time and yet here these three women were.

Through her field research, Kniker was credited for her discovery of fossils mostly from the Cretaceous period.

This included:


 * Neithea Altana n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull. No. 1817, 1918, p. 36, pi. VII, figs. 1-3 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: Austin, Texas.
 * Austinensis n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 46, pi. IX, figs. 4-6; pi. X, fig. 2 Formation: Cretaceous, Austin chalk Location: Austin, Texas
 * Bensoni n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas. Bull. No. 1817, p. 16, 1918, pi, I, figs. 7-13 Formation: Cretaceous, A Austin chalk Location: Austin
 * Bonnellensis n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull. No. 1817, 1918, p. 13, pi. I, figs. 1-2 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: Mount Bonnell, Austin
 * Bellula (ragin) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 22, pi. I ll, figs. 3-11 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: Austin, Texas
 * Boesi n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 42, pi. VIII, figs. 11-19 Formation: Cretaceous, Buda Location: Austin; Round Rock
 * Budensis n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 36, pi. VII, figs. 4-12 Formation: Cretaceous, Buda Location: Austin; Round Rock; Manchaca
 * Casteeli n, sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 51, pi. X, figs. 7-11 Formation: Cretaceous Location: Austin, Texas
 * Duplicicosta (Roem .) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 19, Pl. II, figs. 7, 8; pi. I ll, figs. 1, 2 Formation: Cretaceous, Edwards Location: Austin, Texas
 * Georgetown nensis n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, p. 31, pl. VI, 1918, figs. 1-3 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: A Austin, Texas
 * Hartm ani n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 48, pl. X, figs. 3-6, 12 Formation: Cretaceous, A Austin chalk Location: Walnut creek, Sprinkle, Texas
 * Irregularis (Boese) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull. No. 1817, 1918, p. 18, pl. II, figs. 1-6 Formation: Cretaceous, Walnut and Glen Rose Location: Mount Bonnell and Mount Barker, Austin, Texas
 * Manchacensis n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull. No. 1817, p. 14, pi. I, figs. 3-4 Formation: Cretaceous, Buda Location: Manchaca and Austin
 * Roemeri (H ill) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 43, pl. IX ,figs. 1-3; pl. X, fig. 1 Formation: Cretaceous, Buda Location: Austin, Texas
 * Simondsi n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 41, pl. VIII, figs. 1-10 Formation: Cretaceous, Buda Location: Austin: Manchaca; Round Rock
 * Subalpina (Boese) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull. 1817, 1918, p. 28, pl. V, fig. 4 Formation; Cretaceous, Del Rio, Buda Location: Austin; San Marcos, Buda, Manchaca
 * Texana (Roem.) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 25, pl. IV, figs. 4-7; pl. V, fig. 1 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: Austin, Texas
 * Theodori n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., N o. 1817, 1918. p. 34, pl. VI, figs. 6-9 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: Austin, Texas
 * Whitneyi n. sp. Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 39, pl. VII, figs. 13-17 Formation: Cretaceous, Buda Location: Austin and Manchaca
 * Wrighti (Shumard) Kniker Univ. of Texas Bull., No. 1817, 1918, p. 23, pl. IV, figs. 1-3 Formation: Cretaceous, Georgetown Location: Austin, Texas

Publications[edit]
Kniker has contributed plenty to the world of science. As an author, she wrote Comanchean and cretaceous Pectinidae of Texas (1917). A book about the landscape of Texas that touches on the following topics: Comanchean, cretaceous, Pectinidae, paleontology, stratigraphy, pectin, and neithea. Kniker also co-wrote a book with J. W Beede called Species of the genus Schwagerina and their stratigraphic significance (1924).

Awards[edit]
Kniker was inducted into the Jackson School of Geosciences Hall of Distinction (2008) for her research on philanthropic accomplishments. Kniker also has a hall in the University of Texas named The Kniker Carillon building. Some of Kniker’s specimens are also contained in the NPL’s Type Collection.

Personal Life[edit]
She never married and did not have any children. Kniker remained active after retirement as a geophysical consultant and writer. A renowned paleontologist and geologist in a time when few women entered these fields, Hedwig T. Kniker left a scientific legacy and carved a path for professional women throughout the world. She also ran a flourishing consultancy at a time, advertised by her initials alone, when female success in business was limited. She died on October 12, 1985 and a donation to the University stated in Kniker’s will saw the addition of 39 bells to the Main Building turning it into the largest carillon in Texas. The carillon was dedicated to Kniker on November 14, 1987. Overall, Hedwig Thusnelda Kniker was a pioneer in paleontology and geology at a time where there were few women in this field. From having the first major breakthrough in foraminiferal micropaleontology to her dedication to the field in retirement. Kniker was able to carve the path for future female scientists throughout the world and left her mark on the scientific legacy.

References:[edit]

 * A Guide to the Hedwig Thusnelda Kniker Family Papers, 1887–1987. (2013). Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin. https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/03342/cah
 * 03342.html
 * Birthplace of Hedwig T Kniker. (2021). Texas Historical Markers. https://texashistoricalmarkers.weebly.com/birthplace-of-hedwig-t-kniker.html
 * Gries, Robbie. (2018). “Three Women, One Breakthrough: Unsung Heroines Who Transformed Oil Exploration”. Search and Discovery Article. Online journal for E&P geoscientists. View PDF (searchanddiscovery.com)
 * Hedwig T. Kniker (1891–1985) | Jackson School Museum of Earth History. (2021). Jackson School of Geoscience, The University of Texas in Austin. https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/npl/history/geologists/hedwig-t-kniker-1891-1985/
 * H.T. Kniker’s scientific contributions. (2021). Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/HT-Kniker-19479324
 * “Women In Ut Geology”. (2017). Texas Geoscience. Women in UT Geology | Jackson School of Geosciences | The University of Texas at Austin (utexas.edu)
 * Whitney, Francis Luther. (2010). Bibliography and Index of North American Mesozoic Invertebrata. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing