Celebrating Black History in Botany: A look at the contributions of Marie Clark Taylor

MARIE CLARK TAYLOR  (1911-1990)

Marie Clark Taylor made history as the inaugural African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in botany from Fordham University. Her remarkable journey extended beyond academia, where she served as the department head at Howard University for many years. Taylor’s contributions to science education were profound. She established science institutes for high school teachers, providing them with innovative teaching methods that emphasized the use of real botanical material and light microscopes to study living cells. These methods inspired teachers to adopt them. President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized Taylor’s exceptional work and selected her to expand her efforts and bring her teaching style globally.

Taylor, born in Pennsylvania in 1911, graduated from Dunbar High School with honors in 1929. She went on to earn her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Howard University. In the 1930s and 1940s, while teaching high school, she pursued her doctoral studies at Fordham University, where she was a member of the Scientific Research Society’s Sigma Xi. In 1941, Taylor made history as the first woman of any race to receive a scientific doctorate from Fordham when she received her Ph.D. in botany, cum laude. Her research focused on photomorphogenesis, the influence of light on plant growth. Light serves as a means for plants to perceive their surroundings, and understanding the connection between light and plant development has enabled gardeners to select plants that thrive in specific garden conditions. This knowledge also underpins the concept of maintaining plants in a conservatory or home, creating the optimal growing environment within an artificially created habitat.

Plants exhibit diverse photomorphogenic responses. Dr. Taylor’s research investigated the impact of light photoperiods (daily light periods) on the development of cells that give rise to flowers. These studies explore and elucidate a plant’s relationship to the fundamental aspects of its environment, forming the bedrock of horticulture.

Taylor’s legacy continues to inspire generations through her groundbreaking work in photomorphogenesis and horticulture.