Ellen H. Richards (1842-1911), a chemist and leader in applied science, was instrumental in creating the field of home economics and in broadening opportunities for women in science education.

Contributed by Stephanie Tames, freelance writer (health), Statesboro, Georgia

Born Ellen Henrietta Swallow on December 3, 1842, in Dunstable, Massachusetts; died of heart disease on March 30, 1911, at her home in Boston, Massachusetts; only child of Peter and Fanny Gould (Taylor) Swallow; married: Robert Hallowell Richards (a professor), June 4, 1875; no children.

Peter and Fanny Swallow valued a good education, and they instilled in their only child Ellen ("Nellie") a passion for learning and meticulous attention to detail that later became the foundation for her life's work. Ellen Richard's parents met while attending New Ipswich Academy in New Hampshire and after their marriage, Peter Swallow combined teaching with farming. Born on the Swallow family farm in Dunstable, Massachusetts, on December 3, 1842, Richards, described as...