Editing Wikipedia Entries on Indiana Women in STEM Fields

I had the opportunity to volunteer this past weekend for a project coordinated by the Indiana History Center and the Indiana State Library (Library Virtual Tour) that involved editing and adding details to Wikipedia entries on Indiana Women who were pioneers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields. The Event is part of an effort by Indiana Humanities' Quantum Leap Initiative to see how humanities intersect with STEM fields. 

The morning started with a one hour training session to provide instructions on the basic techniques used to improve Wikipedia entries or to write new ones, a task reserved for those who were very experienced in these procedures. For my first trial at editing, I chose the name of Beulah Wright Porter. Little did I know, she was a teacher turned physician and the first African American woman in Indianapolis to have her own medical practice. Dr. Porter was instrumental in fighting tuberculosis among African American youth and trained nurses to serve this segment of the population that was not allowed in hospitals. 

Indiana State Library, from southeast (source: Indiana State Library)

Ornate ceiling in Indiana State Library (source: Indiana State Library)

 My second contribution on The Grand Chapter of the Sisters of Charity (not to be confused with the Sisters of Charity of Saint  Elizabeth Ann Seton or the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul) had a relation with Dr. Beulah Wright Porter. The Grand Chapter of the Sisters of Charity was established by Dr. Porter and several other women helped the poor and need with food, clothing, and at-home medical care and healthcare, ultimately trying to establishing a small hospital in 1910 that closed soon thereafter due to financial issues.    

Reading room- Indiana State Library

As a scientist at heart, formerly working in neural stem cell research at Indiana University School of Medicine for 10 years, volunteering for a few hours on a Saturday morning to increase understanding about early pioneers in the STEM fields had special meaning. I thought about all the luxuries of today's medical facilities compared to starting from the ground up where there was no support for women or African Americans to be in this field in the early 20th Century. I am sure there were many trials and sacrifices.



The pioneers in each field pave the way for successive generations to build upon where they left off. We must learn about the history of our family, profession, City State, and Nation in order to become better and more engaged citizens and to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.  If you have not visited the Indiana State Library, it is a beautiful building with many historical paintings, ornate ceilings, and architectural details.