凯瑟琳·布洛洁特1898—1979

She was one of the first women hired as a scientist at General Electric Laboratories. in 1918, and in 1926 became the first woman to be awarded a PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge (working with Sir Ernest Rutherford). Blodgett held eight patents and received many awards including the Francis Garvan Medal from the American Chemical Society and a posthumous induction to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Recognizing Blodgett’s advances in commercial applications of physics and in interface science, The Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Chemical Industry, and the Institute of Physics have named awards in her honor.

In her discovery of the technique to create non-reflecting or “invisible” glass, Blodgett worked with Irving Langmuir. Together they developed the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, which involves transferring a single layer of molecules from a liquid surface to a solid surface. The result is a one-molecule-thin film, which is the precise width to cancel out the reflection of glass. This technique and resulting film, both named for Blodgett and Langmuir, continue to serve advances in materials science and nanotechnology.

Early life

Blodgett was born on January 10, 1898, in Schenectady, New York. She was the second child of Katharine Buchanan (Burr) and George Reddington Blodgett. Her father was a patent attorney who led patent legal operations for General Electric. Her father was killed in the family’s home by a burglar just before Katharine was born, and General Electric offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the killer. A suspect who was in custody hanged himself in his jail cell in Salem, New York, and no one was ever convicted of the crime.

After Katharine was born, her mother moved with her and her older brother George Jr. to New York City. They spent Blodgett’s early childhood living between New York and Europe, moving to France in 1901, then Saranac Lake, New York, and then Germany.

Education

In 1913, a 15-year-old Blodgett entered Bryn Mawr College on a scholarship. She focused her studies on math and physics, inspired in particular by two professors, mathematician Charlotte Angas Scott and physicist James Barnes. While at Bryn Mawr, Blodgett achieved more than academic success, participating in a wide range of extracurricular activities. She served as manager of her class’s track team during all four years of college, played water polo during her sophomore year, managed the water polo team during her junior year, was assistant manager of the school’s newspaper, served as treasurer of her class’s senior yearbook, participated in the college’s chess tournament, acted as treasurer and secretary of the Science Club, and as treasurer of the Christian Association. She graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1917.

Work at General Electric

Blodgett was hired as a research scientist in 1918 after receiving a master's degree from the University of Chicago. In 1924 she took a two year hiatus to attain her doctorate at the University of Cambridge. She returned to GE in 1926.

At GE, Blodgett worked with Dr. Irving Langmuir. Langmuir had devised a method to build one-molecule-thin films on the surface of water. Together Langmuir and Blodgett expanded this method to different types of molecules, including lipids, polymers, and proteins. Blodgett took this research further, developing a way to transfer these films onto solid surfaces. By repeatedly dipping a metal plate into water covered with a layer of oil, she deposited one molecular layer at a time onto the plate, which enabled her to control the exact thickness of the film on that plate with molecular-level precision.

Personal life

Blodgett spent most of her adult life in Schenectady, and even bought a home close to the street where she was born. She spent time during the summer at a camp at Lake George in upstate New York, where other General Electric scientists also owned property. Upon her retirement in 1963, colleagues paid tribute to her at a retirement dinner. For much of her adult life, Blodgett was active in the Zonta Club of Schenectady, the local chapter of Zonta International, a network of clubs specifically for professional women. She also maintained a strong connection to her religious beliefs - an interesting juxtaposition with her secular practices that sometimes drew criticism from the more conservative religious community. In her later years, she engaged in communal involvement, gardening, astronomy, and antique collecting.

Awards and recognition

Blodgett received numerous awards during her lifetime. She received a star in the seventh edition of American Men of Science (1943), recognizing her as one of the 1,000 most distinguished scientists in the United States. In 1945, the American Association of University Women honored her with its Annual Achievement Award. In 1951, she received the prestigious Francis Garvan Medal from the American Chemical Society for her work on thin films. That same year, she was chosen by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of fifteen "women of achievement." Also in 1951, she was honored in Boston's First Assembly of American Women in Achievement (the only scientist in the group). On June 13, 1951, the mayor of Schenectady honored her with Katharine Blodgett Day. In 1972, the Photographic Society of America presented her with its Annual Achievement Award.

Legacy

Blodgett’s research and invention legacy can be seen in today’s innovations. The Langmuir-Blodgett technique continues to play a role in surface science, materials science, and nanotechnology. Her discovery of nonreflecting glass is now utilized in a wide range of products beyond its original uses, including televisions and computer screens.

Several posthumous honors pay tribute to Blodgett’s legacy. In 1980, the journal Solid Thin Films dedicated an issue to Langmuir-Blodgett films, specifically recognizing Blodgett, and in 2007, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 2008, an elementary school in Schenectady was named for her, operating first as a regular elementary school, and then housing the Katharine Burr Blodgett Success Academy, a special middle school program. Budget cuts led to the school closing altogether in 2013.

Patents

Blodgett was issued eight U.S. patents during her career. She is the sole inventor for six of the patents, and two of the patents include a co-inventor, Vincent J. Schaefer.