User:Sillyguy20/Marguerite Williams

Marguerite Thomas Williams (born Marguerite Thomas; December 24, 1895 – August 17, 1991) was an American geologist. She was the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States and dedicated most of her career to teaching geography and social sciences. Williams is a pioneer among geoscientists as she focused on recognizing how human activity and landscape management impacted the erosional processes and the risks of natural flooding.

Marguerite Thomas attended what was previously known as Normal School for Colored Girls. The school was later renamed Miner Teachers College and is now known as the University of the District of Columbia.She graduated from the two-year teacher-training program at the University of the District of Columbia, previously called Normal School for Colored Girls, in June 1916 with a scholarship to Howard University. Kelly Miller of Howard University delivered the address to the graduates and a song, written by Thomas for the occasion, was sung. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1923 where she was mentored by African American biologist Ernest Everett Just. During this time Ernest Just chose Roger Arliner Young, instead of Thomas for a position as an assistant professor at Howard University, despite Thomas being better qualified for the position. Thomas completed her master's degree in geology at Columbia University in 1930.

In 1942, she completed her PhD dissertation, The History of Erosion in the Anacostia Drainage Basin, at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. This made her the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States. Her dissertation was later published by the Catholic University of America Press.

Since 2020, the Marguerite T. Williams Award has been presented annually by the American Geophysical Union to mid-career scientists who have significantly contributed to the research or community building in earth and planetary surface processes studies. The research done by Williams on fluvial sedimentology has impacted studies of fluvial sediments on Mars by the Mars Science Laboratory and the Perseverance rover. Her contributions in geology inspired the development of the Marguerite Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM). The University College London Department of Earth Sciences, introduced a scholarship under Marguerite’s name for students who have published works that invoke actions or proposed methods to counter discrimination and racism in their institution. She obtained a recognition and written account in the Association for Women in Science (AWIS).