Chatham University is a private university in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania. Originally founded as a women's college, it began enrolling men in undergraduate programs in 2015. It enrolls about 2,110 students, including 1,002 undergraduate students and 1,108 graduate students.
92-592: The university grants certificates and degrees including bachelor, master, first-professional, and doctorate degrees in the School of Arts, Science & Business, the School of Health Sciences, and the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment. Founded as the Pennsylvania Female College on December 11, 1869, by Reverend William Trimble Beatty (the father of renowned operatic contralto Louise Homer ), it
184-704: A Bachelors in Sustainability, a Masters of Sustainability, an MA in Food Studies, and dual degrees in Masters of Sustainability or MA in Food Studies + Masters in Business Administration. The Eden Hall Campus was donated to Chatham University by the Eden Hall Foundation on May 1, 2008. In 2011, the university engaged the architectural team of Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell (BNIM) of Kansas City, Mo. and
276-450: A believe-it-or-not and a breezy travelogue." However, she discovered that her right to review the script did not extend to any control over its content. This led to many scientific inconsistencies inside the film. Despite Carson's requests to resolve these problems, Allen went forward with the script. He succeeded in producing a very successful documentary. It went on to win the 1953 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature . However, Carson
368-416: A book calling into question the paradigm of scientific progress that defined post-war American culture." The overriding theme of Silent Spring is the powerful—and often adverse—effect humans have on the natural world. Carson's main argument is that pesticides have detrimental effects on the environment; they are more properly termed biocides , she argues, because their effects are rarely limited to
460-722: A book. Several years of writing resulted in Under the Sea Wind (1941), which received excellent reviews but sold poorly. In the meantime, Carson's article-writing success continued with her features appearing in Sun Magazine , Nature , and Collier's . Carson attempted to leave the Bureau (by then transformed into the United States Fish and Wildlife Service ) in 1945. However, few jobs for naturalists were available, since most money for science
552-488: A broad audience and helped to focus opposition to DDT use. In 1994, an edition of Silent Spring was published with an introduction written by Vice President Al Gore . In 2012 Silent Spring was designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society for its role in the development of the modern environmental movement. Starting in the mid-1940s, Carson had become concerned about
644-640: A chapter, "The Birth of an Island," which won the American Association for the Advancement of Science 's George Westinghouse Science Writing Prize. Beginning in June 1951, nine chapters were serialized in The New Yorker . On July 2, 1951, the book was published by Oxford University Press. The Sea Around Us remained on The New York Times Bestseller List for 86 weeks, was abridged by Reader's Digest , won
736-540: A dissertation on the embryonic development of the pronephros in fish. In June 1932, she earned a master's degree in zoology. She had intended to continue for a doctorate, however in 1934 Carson was forced to leave Johns Hopkins to search for a full-time teaching position to help support her family during the Great Depression . In 1935, Carson's father died suddenly, worsening their already critical financial situation and leaving Carson to care for her aging mother. At
828-409: A group of biodynamic agriculture organic market gardeners, their adviser, Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer , other contacts, and their suite of legal actions (1957–1960) against the U.S. Government. According to recent research by Paull (2013), this may have been the primary and (for strategic reasons) uncredited source for Carson's book. Marjorie Spock and Mary T. Richards of Long Island, New York, contested
920-419: A handful of new pesticides. However, further health troubles slowed the final revisions in 1961 and early 1962. While writing the book, Carson chose to hide her illness so that the pesticide companies could not use it against her (she worried that if the companies knew, they would use it as ammunition to make her book look untrustworthy and biased). Finding a title for the book proved difficult; "Silent Spring"
1012-548: A long and well-paid article on the topic from Carson, she began considering writing more than simply the introduction and conclusion as planned; soon, it was a solo project. (Diamond would later write one of the harshest critiques of Silent Spring ). As her research progressed, Carson found a sizable community of scientists who were documenting the physiological and environmental effects of pesticides. She also took advantage of her connections with many government scientists, who supplied her with confidential information. From reading
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#17328630835731104-1309: A lyric contralto voice. Ma Moss in The Tender Land is a notable lyric contralto role. The dramatic contralto voice is heard in much of the German operatic repertoire. Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen and Gaea in Daphne are both good examples of the dramatic contralto. True operatic contraltos are rare, and the operatic literature contains few roles written specifically for them with most of those roles singing notes outside of their defined range. Contraltos sometimes are assigned feminine roles like Teodata in Flavio , Angelina in La Cenerentola , Rosina in The Barber of Seville , Isabella in L'italiana in Algeri , and Olga in Eugene Onegin , but more frequently they play female villains or trouser roles . Contraltos may also be cast in roles originally written for castrati . A common saying among contraltos
1196-489: A new living situation and studying specific environmental threats. By late 1957, Carson was closely following federal proposals for widespread pesticide spraying; the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) planned to eradicate fire ants . Other spraying programs involving chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphates were on the rise. For the rest of her life, Carson's main professional focus would be
1288-498: A new publisher). By this time, Carson's reputation for clear and poetical prose was well established; The Edge of the Sea received highly favorable reviews, if not quite as enthusiastic as for The Sea Around Us . Through 1955 and 1956, Carson worked on several projects—including the script for an Omnibus episode, "Something About the Sky"—and wrote articles for popular magazines. Her plan for
1380-480: A number of their own brochures and articles promoting and defending pesticide use. However, Carson's and the publishers' lawyers were confident in the vetting process Silent Spring had undergone. The magazine and book publications proceeded as planned, as did the large Book-of-the-Month printing (which included a pamphlet endorsing the book by William O. Douglas). American Cyanamid biochemist Robert White-Stevens and former Cyanamid chemist Thomas Jukes were among
1472-462: A specific vocal range in choral singing without regard to factors like tessitura , vocal timbre , vocal facility, and vocal weight . However, there exists some French choral writing (including that of Ravel and Poulenc ) with a part labelled "contralto", despite the tessitura and function being that of a classical alto part. The Saracen princess Clorinde in André Campra 's 1702 opera Tancrède
1564-499: A voice lighter in timbre; and dramatic contralto , a deep, dark, and bold contralto voice. The coloratura contralto was a favorite voice type of Rossini's . Many of his roles listed below were written with this type of voice in mind. Lyric contraltos are heavily utilized in both the French and English operatic repertoire. Many of the Gilbert and Sullivan contralto roles are best suited with
1656-521: A year or so of publication, the attacks on the book and Carson had largely lost momentum. In one of her last public appearances, Carson testified before President John F. Kennedy 's Science Advisory Committee. The committee issued its report on May 15, 1963, largely backing Carson's scientific claims. Following the report's release, she also testified before a United States Senate subcommittee to make policy recommendations. Though Carson received hundreds of other speaking invitations, she could not accept
1748-640: Is named . The school gained university status from the Pennsylvania Department of Education on April 23, 2007, and publicly announced its new status on May 1, 2007, changing its name to Chatham University. With elements designed for the original Andrew Mellon estate by the Olmsted Brothers , the 39-acre (16 ha) Shadyside Campus was designated an arboretum in 1998 by the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. In 2005
1840-446: Is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic contralto. "Contralto" is primarily meaningful only in reference to classical and operatic singing, as other traditions lack a comparable system of vocal categorization . The term "contralto" is only applied to female singers; men singing in a similar range are called " countertenors ". The Italian terms "contralto" and " alto " are not synonymous, "alto" technically denoting
1932-564: Is part of historic Woodland Road. The Shadyside Campus now also includes the Chatham Eastside building, which serves as the home for the health science and interior architecture programs. The university's new 388-acre (157 ha) Eden Hall Campus is located north of the city of Pittsburgh in Richland Township, Pennsylvania; it is the home of Chatham's Falk School of Sustainability & Environment. Programs at Eden Hall Campus include
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#17328630835732024-489: Is that they may play only "witches, bitches, or britches ." Examples of contralto roles in the standard operatic repertoire include the following: indicates a role that may also be sung by a mezzo-soprano . Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist , writer, and conservationist whose sea trilogy (1941–1955) and book Silent Spring (1962) are credited with advancing marine conservation and
2116-452: Is the lowest female voice type . The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano , and almost identical to that of a countertenor , typically between the F below middle C (F 3 in scientific pitch notation ) to the second F above middle C (F 5 ), although, at the extremes, some voices can reach the D below middle C (D 3 ) or the second B ♭ above middle C (B ♭ 5 ). The contralto voice type
2208-602: Is whether it is either wise or responsible to attack the problem by methods that are rapidly making it worse. The world has heard much of the triumphant war against disease by controlling insect vectors of infection. However, it has heard little of the other side of the story—the defeats, the short-lived triumphs that now strongly support the alarming view that the insect enemy has been made actually stronger by our efforts. Even worse, we may have destroyed our very means of fighting. Carson further noted that "Malaria programmes are threatened by resistance among mosquitoes" and emphasized
2300-670: The Book of the Month for October; as she put it, this would "carry it to farms and hamlets all over that country that don't know what a bookstore looks like—much less The New Yorker ." Other publicity included a positive editorial in The New York Times and excerpts of the serialized version in Audubon magazine, with another round of publicity in July and August as chemical companies responded. The story of
2392-480: The Chesapeake Bay , based on her research for the series, to local newspapers and magazines. Carson's supervisor, pleased with the success of the radio series, asked her to write the introduction to a public brochure about the fisheries bureau; he also worked to secure her the first full-time position that became available. Sitting for the civil service exam, she outscored all other applicants and, in 1936, became
2484-631: The White House Conference on Conservation in May 1962; Houghton Mifflin distributed proof copies of Silent Spring to many of the delegates and promoted the upcoming New Yorker serialization. Among many others, Carson also sent a proof copy to Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas , a longtime environmental advocate who had argued against the court's rejection of the Long Island pesticide spraying case (and who had provided Carson with some of
2576-419: The "Lost Woods." In early 1957, a family tragedy struck for the third time when one of her nieces she had cared for since the 1940s died at the age of 31, leaving her 5-year-old son, Roger Christie, an orphan. Carson took on the responsibility for Roger when she adopted him, along with caring for her aging mother. Carson moved to Silver Spring, Maryland to care for Roger and spent much of 1957 putting together
2668-533: The 1952 National Book Award for Nonfiction and the John Burroughs Medal , and resulted in Carson being awarded two honorary doctorates. She licensed a documentary film based on it, The Sea , whose success led to republication of Under the Sea Wind , which became a bestseller. With success, came financial security; in 1952, Carson was able to give up her job in order to concentrate on writing full-time. Carson
2760-557: The American people. Although Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, which led to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. It also inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter . Carson
2852-701: The Cougars, participate as a member of the NCAA Division III . The Cougars are a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Chatham has both Men's and Women's varsity teams in basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, squash, swimming & diving, track & field, volleyball, and Co-ed sideline cheerleading. Men's and women's ice hockey play in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference . The women's ice hockey team
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2944-508: The USDA's Agricultural Research Service responded to the criticism by Carson and others with a public service film, Fire Ant on Trial ; Carson characterized it as "flagrant propaganda " that ignored the dangers that spraying pesticides (especially dieldrin and heptachlor ) posed to humans and wildlife. That spring, Carson wrote a letter, published in The Washington Post , that attributed
3036-404: The advice given by the director of Holland's Plant Protection Service: "Practical advice should be 'Spray as little as you possibly can' rather than 'Spray to the limit of your capacity' ... Pressure on the pest population should always be as slight as possible." Carson and the others involved with the publication of Silent Spring expected fierce criticism. They were particularly concerned about
3128-432: The aerial spraying of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). They compiled their evidence and shared it with Carson, who used it, their extensive contacts, and the trial transcripts as a primary input for Silent Spring . Carson wrote of the content as "a gold mine of information" and says, "I feel guilty about the mass of your material I have here" and makes multiple references to Pfeiffer and his correspondence. By 1959,
3220-542: The aggressive tactics of the chemical industry representatives, which included expert testimony that was firmly contradicted by the bulk of the scientific literature she had been studying. She also wondered about the possible "financial inducements behind certain pesticide programs." Research at the Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health brought Carson into contact with medical researchers investigating
3312-465: The argument she made in Silent Spring was that even if DDT and other insecticides had no environmental side effects, their indiscriminate overuse was counter-productive because it would create insect resistance, making them useless in eliminating the target insect populations: No responsible person contends that insect-borne disease should be ignored. The question that has now urgently presented itself
3404-706: The birth defect-causing drug thalidomide broke just before the book's publication as well, inviting comparisons between Carson and Frances Oldham Kelsey , the Food and Drug Administration reviewer who had blocked the drug's sale in the United States. In the weeks leading up to the September 27, 1962, publication, there was strong opposition to Silent Spring from the chemical industry. DuPont (a main manufacturer of DDT and 2,4-D ) and Velsicol Chemical Corporation (exclusive manufacturer of chlordane and heptachlor ) were among
3496-667: The book's scientific claims; public opinion soon turned Carson's way as well. The chemical industry campaign backfired, as the controversy greatly increased public awareness of potential pesticide dangers, as well as Silent Spring book sales. Pesticide use became a major public issue, especially after the CBS Reports TV special The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson that aired April 3, 1963. The program included segments of Carson reading from Silent Spring and interviews with several other experts, mostly critics (including White-Stevens); according to biographer Linda Lear , "in juxtaposition to
3588-470: The cover. The final writing was the first chapter, A Fable for Tomorrow , which Carson intended as a gentle introduction to what might otherwise be a forbiddingly serious topic. By mid-1962, Brooks and Carson had essentially finished the editing and were laying the groundwork for promoting the book by sending the manuscript out to select individuals for final suggestions. Biographer Mark Hamilton Lytle writes that Carson "quite self-consciously decided to write
3680-412: The cult of the balance of nature," while former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson , in a letter to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower , reportedly concluded that because she was unmarried despite being physically attractive, she was "probably a Communist ." Many critics repeatedly asserted that she was calling for the elimination of all pesticides. However, Carson had made it clear she
3772-435: The dangers of pesticide overuse. Silent Spring , Carson's most influential book, was published by Houghton Mifflin on September 27, 1962. The book described the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment, and is widely credited with helping launch the environmental movement . Carson was not the first or the only person to raise concern about DDT, but her combination of "scientific knowledge and poetic writing" reached
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3864-427: The definite rating of a "chemical carcinogen." Carson predicted increased consequences in the future, especially as targeted pests develop pesticide resistance . At the same time, weakened ecosystems fall prey to unanticipated invasive species . The book closes with a call for a biotic approach to pest control as an alternative to chemical pesticides. Regarding DDT, Carson never called for an outright ban. Part of
3956-437: The evidence for the toxicity of a wide array of synthetic pesticides was clear-cut, though such conclusions were very controversial beyond the small community of scientists studying pesticide carcinogenesis . By 1960, Carson had more than enough research material, and the writing was progressing rapidly. In addition to the thorough literature search, she had investigated hundreds of individual incidents of pesticide exposure and
4048-449: The first to respond. DuPont compiled an extensive report on the book's press coverage and estimated impact on public opinion. Velsicol threatened legal action against Houghton Mifflin and The New Yorker and Audubon unless the planned Silent Spring features were canceled. Chemical industry representatives and lobbyists also lodged a range of non-specific complaints, some anonymously. Chemical companies and associated organizations produced
4140-594: The first two years of their friendship..." According to one reviewer, the pair "fit Carolyn Heilbrun 's characterization of a strong female friendship, where what matters is 'not whether friends are homosexual or heterosexual, lovers or not, but whether they share the wonderful energy of work in the public sphere.'" According to her biographer, Linda Lear , there was a disagreement about the final arrangements for Rachel. Her brother, Robert Carson, insisted that her cremated remains be buried beside their mother in Maryland. This
4232-403: The gamut of cancer-causing chemicals. Of particular significance was the work of National Cancer Institute researcher and environmental cancer section founding director Wilhelm Hueper , who classified many pesticides as carcinogens . Carson and her research assistant Jeanne Davis, with the help of NIH librarian Dorothy Algire, found evidence to support the pesticide-cancer connection; to Carson,
4324-428: The global environmental movement . Carson began her career as an aquatic biologist in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries , and became a full-time nature writer in the 1950s. Her widely praised 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us won her a U.S. National Book Award , recognition as a gifted writer and financial security. Its success prompted the republication of her first book, Under the Sea Wind (1941), in 1952, which
4416-542: The government's exact spraying practices and the related research. Carson began the four-year project of what would become Silent Spring by gathering examples of environmental damage attributed to DDT. She also attempted to enlist others to join the cause, such as essayist E. B. White and several journalists and scientists. By 1958, Carson had arranged a book deal, with plans to co-write with Newsweek science journalist Edwin Diamond. However, when The New Yorker commissioned
4508-542: The great majority of them. Her health was steadily declining as her cancer outpaced the radiation therapy, with only brief periods of remission. She spoke as much as she was physically able, however, including a notable appearance on The Today Show and speeches at several dinners held in her honor. In late 1963, she received a flurry of awards and honors: the Audubon Medal (from the National Audubon Society ),
4600-533: The human sickness and ecological damage that resulted. However, in January, a duodenal ulcer followed by several infections kept her bedridden for weeks, greatly delaying the completion of Silent Spring . As she was nearing full recovery in March (just as she was completing drafts of the two cancer chapters of her book), she discovered cysts in her left breast, one of which necessitated a mastectomy . Though her doctor described
4692-577: The landscape design firm Andropogon Associates of Philadelphia to lead the master planning process. The first phase of development was designed by the firm Mithun, was completed in 2016, and won an award for sustainable development. In 2013, the Falk Foundation made its largest and final grant to the School of Sustainability & the Environment for the completion of the Eden Hall Campus. The grant
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#17328630835734784-536: The material included in her chapter on herbicides). Though Silent Spring had generated a relatively high level of interest based on pre-publication promotion, this became much more intense with the serialization in The New Yorker , which began on June 16, 1962, issue. This brought the book to the attention of the chemical industry and its lobbyists and a wide swath of the American populace. Around that time, Carson also learned that Silent Spring had been selected as
4876-518: The most aggressive critics, especially of Carson's analysis of DDT. According to White-Stevens, "If man were to follow the teachings of Miss Carson, we would return to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases and vermin would once again inherit the earth." Others went further, attacking Carson's scientific credentials (because her training was in marine biology rather than biochemistry) and her character. White-Stevens labeled her "...a fanatic defender of
4968-692: The next book was to address evolution . However, the publication of Julian Huxley 's Evolution in Action —and her own difficulty in finding a clear and compelling approach to the topic—led her to abandon the project. Instead, her interests were turning to conservation. She considered an environment-themed book project tentatively titled Remembrance of the Earth and became involved with The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups. She also made plans to buy and preserve from development an area in Maine she and Freeman called
5060-517: The possibility of being sued for libel . Carson was also undergoing radiation therapy to combat her spreading cancer and expected to have little energy to devote to defending her work and responding to critics. In preparation for the anticipated attacks, Carson and her agent attempted to amass as many prominent supporters as possible before the book's release. Most of the book's scientific chapters were reviewed by scientists with relevant expertise, among whom Carson found strong support. Carson attended
5152-473: The procedure as precautionary and recommended no further treatment, by December, Carson discovered that the tumor was malignant and the cancer had metastasized . Her research was also delayed by revision work for a new edition of The Sea Around Us and by a collaborative photo essay with Erich Hartmann . Most of the research and writing was done by the fall of 1960, except for the discussion of recent research on biological pest controls and investigations of
5244-476: The rare female singers who specialized in the tenor and baritone registers include film actress Zarah Leander , the Iranian āvāz singer Hayedeh , the child prodigy Ruby Helder (1890–1938), and Bavarian novelty singer Bally Prell . Within the contralto voice type category are three generally recognized subcategories: coloratura contralto , an agile voice specializing in florid passages; lyric contralto ,
5336-478: The recent decline in bird populations—in her words, the "silencing of birds"—to pesticide overuse. That was also the year of the "Great Cranberry Scandal": the 1957, 1958, and 1959 crops of U.S. cranberries were found to contain high levels of the herbicide aminotriazole (which caused cancer in laboratory rats), and the sale of all cranberry products was halted. Carson attended the subsequent FDA hearings on revising pesticide regulations; she came away discouraged by
5428-608: The relationship, but much of their correspondence was carefully guarded. Some believe Freeman and Carson's relationship was romantic in nature. One of the letters from Carson to Freeman reads: "But, oh darling, I want to be with you so terribly that it hurts!", while in another, Freeman writes: "I love you beyond expression... My love is boundless as the Sea." Carson's last letter to Freeman before her death ends with: "Never forget, dear one, how deeply I have loved you all these years." Shortly before Carson's death, she and Freeman destroyed hundreds of letters. The surviving correspondence
5520-570: The rocky shores of Sheepscot Bay in Maine. Early in 1953, Carson began library and field research on the ecology and organisms of the Atlantic shore. In 1955, she completed the third volume of her sea trilogy, The Edge of the Sea , which focuses on life in coastal ecosystems, particularly along the Eastern Seaboard . It appeared in The New Yorker in two condensed installments shortly before its October 26 book release by Houghton Mifflin (again
5612-400: The scientific literature and interviewing scientists, Carson found two scientific camps when it came to pesticides: those who dismissed the possible danger of pesticide spraying barring conclusive proof, and those who were open to the possibility of harm and willing to consider alternative methods such as biological pest control . She also found significant support and extensive evidence from
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#17328630835735704-405: The second woman hired by the Bureau of Fisheries for a full-time professional position, as a junior aquatic biologist. Using her research and consultations with marine biologists as starting points, she wrote a steady stream of articles for The Baltimore Sun and other newspapers. However, her family responsibilities further increased in January 1937 when her older sister died, leaving Carson as
5796-611: The sole breadwinner for her mother and two nieces. In July 1937, the Atlantic Monthly accepted a revised version of an essay, The World of Waters , that she originally wrote for her first fisheries bureau brochure. Her supervisor had deemed it too good for that purpose. The essay, published as Undersea , was a vivid narrative of a journey along the ocean floor. It marked a major turning point in Carson's writing career. Publishing house Simon & Schuster , impressed by Undersea , contacted Carson and suggested that she expand it into
5888-553: The spraying of private land. Landowners on Long Island filed a lawsuit to have the spraying stopped, and many in affected regions followed the case closely. Though the suit was lost, the Supreme Court granted petitioners the right to gain injunctions against potential environmental damage in the future; this laid the basis for later successful environmental actions. The Audubon Naturalist Society also actively opposed such spraying programs and recruited Carson to help make public
5980-446: The student government voted to reinstate Pennsy the Seal as the college mascot. The vote did not affect the college mascot. 40°26′57″N 79°55′33″W / 40.44917°N 79.92583°W / 40.44917; -79.92583 Contralto A contralto ( Italian pronunciation: [konˈtralto] ) is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range
6072-513: The subject of so much subsequent debate, Carson only briefly mentions the topic: In laboratory tests on animal subjects, DDT has produced suspicious liver tumors. Scientists of the Food and Drug Administration who reported the discovery of these tumors were uncertain how to classify them but felt there was some "justification for considering them low grade hepatic cell carcinomas." Dr. Hueper [author of Occupational Tumors and Allied Diseases ] now gives DDT
6164-471: The subject unappealing; she published nothing on DDT until 1962. Carson rose within the Fish and Wildlife Service, and in 1945 was supervising a small writing staff. In 1949, she was appointed chief editor of publications, which allowed her increased opportunities for fieldwork and freedom in choosing her writing projects; however, it also entailed increasingly tedious administrative responsibilities. By 1948, Carson
6256-519: The target pests. DDT is a prime example, but other synthetic pesticides come under scrutiny, many of which are subject to bioaccumulation . Carson also accuses the chemical industry of intentionally spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically. Most of the book is devoted to pesticides' effects on natural ecosystems. However, four chapters also detail cases of human pesticide poisoning, cancer, and other illnesses attributed to pesticides. Regarding DDT and cancer,
6348-581: The top of her class of 44 students. In high school, Carson was said to have been somewhat of a loner. Carson gained admission to Pennsylvania College for Women, now Chatham University , in Pittsburgh , where she originally studied English but switched her major to biology in January 1928. She continued contributing to the school's student newspaper and literary supplement. She was admitted to graduate school at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in 1928, but
6440-491: The university expanded its programs to include online advanced degree programs (bachelors, masters, doctoral) through the School of Continuing Education, now the School for Continuing and Professional Studies. Two years later, Chatham's MFA in Creative Writing program was named one of the top five Innovative/Unique Programs by The Atlantic Monthly . Chatham received some national attention in 2014 when it announced that it
6532-558: The urging of her undergraduate biology mentor Mary Scott Skinker, Carson secured a temporary position with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries , where she wrote radio copy for a series of weekly educational broadcasts called Romance Under the Waters . The series of 52 seven-minute programs focused on aquatic life and was intended to generate public interest in fish biology and the bureau's work, a task that several writers before Carson had not managed. Carson also began submitting articles on marine life in
6624-504: The use of synthetic pesticides, many of which had been developed through the military funding of science since World War II . However, the United States federal government 's 1957 gypsy moth, now called spongy moth , eradication program prompted Carson to devote her research and her next book to pesticides and environmental poisons. The gypsy moth program involved aerial spraying of DDT and other pesticides mixed with fuel oil , including
6716-468: The wild-eyed, loud-voiced Dr. Robert White-Stevens in white lab coat, Carson appeared anything but the hysterical alarmist that her critics contended." Reactions from the estimated audience of ten to fifteen million were overwhelmingly positive, and the program spurred a congressional review of pesticide dangers and the public release of a pesticide report by the President's Science Advisory Committee . Within
6808-411: The works of Beatrix Potter , the novels of Gene Stratton-Porter , and in her teen years, Herman Melville , Joseph Conrad , and Robert Louis Stevenson . The natural world, particularly that of the ocean, was the common thread of her favorite literature. Carson attended Springdale's small school through tenth grade, and then completed high school in nearby Parnassus, Pennsylvania , graduating in 1925 at
6900-606: The writer as well as the woman." She found this in Freeman. The two women had common interests, nature chief among them, and began exchanging letters regularly while apart. They shared summers for the remainder of Carson's life and met whenever else their schedules permitted. Concerning the depth of their relationship, commentators have said: "the expression of their love was limited almost wholly to letters and very occasional farewell kisses or holding of hands". Freeman shared parts of Carson's letters with her husband to help him understand
6992-430: Was against her wishes to be buried in Maine. In the end, a compromise was reached. Carson's wishes were carried out by an organizing committee, including her agent (Marie Rodell), her editor (Paul Brooks), and Dorothy Freeman. In the spring of 1964, Dorothy received half of Rachel's ashes in the mail sent to her by Robert Carson. In the summer of that year, Dorothy carried out Rachel's final wishes, scattering her ashes along
7084-588: Was also the largest grant in the history of Chatham University. The School of Sustainability & the Environment was renamed the Falk School of Sustainability . The Falk Foundation made its first grant to Chatham in 1952 with the funding of Chatham's Falk Hall, named in honor of Laura Falk, wife of foundation founder Maurice Falk. Chatham University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education . Chatham University teams, also known as
7176-581: Was born on May 27, 1907, on a family farm near Springdale, Pennsylvania , located by the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh . She was the daughter of Maria Frazier (McLean) and Robert Warden Carson, an insurance salesman. She spent a lot of time exploring around her family's 65-acre (26 ha) farm. An avid reader, she began writing stories, often involving animals, at age eight. At age ten, she had her first story published. She enjoyed reading St. Nicholas Magazine , which carried her first published stories,
7268-400: Was conducted mainly through letters and during summers spent together in Maine. Over 12 years, they exchanged around 900 letters. Many of these were published in the book Always, Rachel , published in 1995 by Beacon Press . Carson's biographer, Linda J. Lear , writes that "Carson sorely needed a devoted friend and kindred spirit who would listen to her without advising and accept her wholly,
7360-414: Was engaging in a period of study "considering admitting men for the first time in that college's history," resulting in "reactions of surprise and anger" from its alumnae. Undergraduate men began attending in 2015. The current president of Chatham University is Rhonda Phillips . Phillips is the 10th woman to serve as the university's president across its 154-year history. Chatham's original Shadyside Campus
7452-460: Was focused on technical fields in the wake of the Manhattan Project . In mid-1945, Carson first encountered the subject of DDT , a revolutionary new pesticide—lauded as the "insect bomb" after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki —that was only beginning to undergo tests for safety and ecological effects. DDT was one of Carson's many writing interests at the time, but editors found
7544-416: Was followed by The Edge of the Sea in 1955 — both were also bestsellers. This sea trilogy explores the whole of ocean life from the shores to the depths. Late in the 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation, especially some problems she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides . The result was the book Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented share of
7636-769: Was forced to remain at the Pennsylvania College for Women for her senior year due to financial difficulties; she graduated magna cum laude in 1929. After a summer course at the Marine Biological Laboratory , she continued her studies in zoology and genetics at Johns Hopkins in the fall of 1929. After her first year of graduate school, Carson became a part-time student, taking an assistantship in Raymond Pearl 's laboratory, where she worked with rats and Drosophila , to earn money for tuition. After false starts with pit vipers and squirrels , she completed
7728-486: Was initially suggested as a title for the chapter on birds. By August 1961, Carson finally agreed to the suggestion of her literary agent Marie Rodell: Silent Spring would be a metaphorical title for the entire book, suggesting a bleak future for the whole natural world, rather than a single chapter title about the literal absence of birdsong. With Carson's approval, editor Paul Brooks at Houghton Mifflin arranged for illustrations by Louis and Lois Darling, who also designed
7820-465: Was inundated with requests for speaking engagements, fan mail and other correspondence regarding The Sea Around Us , along with work on the script that she had secured the right to review. She was very unhappy with the final version of the script by writer, director, and producer Irwin Allen ; she found it untrue to the atmosphere of the book and scientifically embarrassing, describing it as "a cross between
7912-447: Was located in the Berry mansion on Woodland Road off Fifth Avenue in the neighborhood of Shadyside. Shadyside Campus today is composed of buildings and grounds from a number of former private mansions. The college was renamed Pennsylvania College for Women in 1890, and Chatham College in 1955. The latter name was to honor William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham , after whom the city of Pittsburgh
8004-545: Was not advocating the banning or complete withdrawal of helpful pesticides but was instead encouraging responsible and carefully managed use with an awareness of the chemicals' impact on the entire ecosystem. In fact, she concludes her section on DDT in Silent Spring not by urging a total ban but with advice for spraying as little as possible to limit the development of resistance. The academic community, including prominent defenders such as H. J. Muller , Loren Eiseley , Clarence Cottam , and Frank Egler , by and large, backed
8096-457: Was published in 1995 as Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952–1964: An Intimate Portrait of a Remarkable Friendship , edited by Martha Freeman, Dorothy's granddaughter, who wrote at publication: "A few comments in early letters indicate that Rachel and Dorothy were initially cautious about the romantic tone and terminology of their correspondence. I believe this caution prompted their destruction of some letters within
8188-400: Was so embittered by the experience that she never again sold film rights to her work. Carson met Dorothy M. Freeman in the summer of 1953 on Southport Island, Maine . Freeman had written to Carson welcoming her to the area when she had heard that the famous author was to become her neighbor. It was the beginning of a devoted friendship that lasted the rest of Carson's life. Their relationship
8280-534: Was the first NCAA women's ice hockey team in Pennsylvania. Chatham athletics announced in November 2024 that they will be adding a Co-ed competitive cheerleading team for the 2025-2026 season. The college mascot was previously Pennsy the Seal. The cougar mascot was adopted in 1992 and was named Carson in honor of alumna Rachel Carson in 2011. In 2023, 55.6% of students participating in a non-binding referendum held by
8372-585: Was working on material for a second book and decided to begin a transition to writing full-time. That year, she took on a literary agent, Marie Rodell ; they formed a close professional relationship that would last the rest of Carson's career. Oxford University Press expressed interest in Carson's book proposal for a life history of the ocean, spurring her to complete by early 1950 the manuscript of what would become The Sea Around Us . Chapters appeared in Science Digest and The Yale Review , which published
8464-437: Was written for Julie d'Aubigny and is considered the earliest major role for bas-dessus or contralto voice. The contralto has the lowest vocal range of the female voice types , with the lowest tessitura ; it is between tenor and mezzo-soprano . Although tenors, baritones, and basses are male singers, some women can sing as low (albeit with a slightly different timbre and texture) as their male counterparts. Some of
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