Alice D. Weeks

Alice Mary Dowse Weeks (August 26, 1909 – August 29, 1988) was an American geologist. Weeksite is named after her. She identified uranophane in 1953 along with Mary E. Thompson. Weeks was the first to propose the concept of oxidation of ore deposits that contain uranium, vanadium, and other accessory metals. She founded the Geology Department at Temple University in Philadelphia, and was a strong proponent of women in geology.

Early life and family Alice Mary Dowse Weeks and her twin sister Eunice were born August 26, 1909, in Sherborn Massachusetts. Alice's mother Jessie Parker Dowse was raised in Uxbridge, Massachusetts and attended Tufts University. Jessie worked as a teacher until marrying Arthur Dowse, who worked as a banker among other occupations. Alice Weeks' mother was an advocate for her children's education, and encouraged them to learn at a young age, as well as being an advocate for women's rights.

Alice married Dr. Albert Weeks, a long-term friend and companion, in May 1950. Albert, a petroleum geologist, encouraged Alice in her career and helped to motivate her to complete her dissertation. Weeks is also recognized for identifying uranophane in 1953 along with Mary E. Thompson of the United States Geological Survey, and was the first to propose the concept of oxidation of ore deposits that contain uranium, vanadium, and other accessory metals.

In 1994 the estate of Albert and Alice Weeks established a special endowment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison which supports a Distinguished Professorship and other programs.

Role of women in science During Weeks' time, women were not widely accepted in the world of geology, and she occasionally was not permitted to attend specific classes, having to sit outside. In order to collect samples from uranium mines, Weeks was forced to dress up as a man to evade the superstition against allowing women to enter mines. As one of the first woman geologists, she was listed in American Men of Science well before it was changed to American Men and Women of Science.

Alice Mary Weeks was a member of the Women Geoscientists Committee of the American Geological Institute. Navajoite, a New Vanadium Oxide from Arizona Identification and Occurrence of Uranium and Vanadium Minerals from the Colorado Plateaus Rabbittite, a new uranyl carbonate from Utah Mineralogy of the zippeite group Grantsite, a new hydrated sodium calcium vanadate from New Mexico, Colorado and Utah Hendersonite, a new calcium vanadyl vanadate from Colorado and New Mexico