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Anna McPherson

1901 – 1979

Canadian physicist

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About Anna McPherson

Lived 1901 – 1979 (aged 77–78). Anna McPherson was a Canadian physicist.

Anna Isobel McPherson (1901–1979) was a Canadian physicist and the first female professor in the Department of Physics at McGill University.

Early life and education McPherson received a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Physics with First Class Honors from McGill University in 1921. There she received the Anne Molson Gold Medal for excellence, awarded to the best student in physics, mathematics, and physical science at McGill.

In 1923, McPherson received a M.Sc. from McGill, under the supervision of Arthur Eve.

She then taught mathematics at a high school in Montreal, before moving to Chicago to begin a doctorate degree with A.J. Dempster at the University of Chicago. There she worked to analyze the spectrum of electrical discharges in gasses. She received a PhD 1933.

Career After finishing her graduate studies, she returned to Montreal and repeatedly applied to and was rejected for a teaching position at McGill. She was eventually hired as a part-time demonstrator at the university in 1940. The small observatory on the roof of the Ernest Rutherford Physics Building is also named in her honour.

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Important facts

Born
1901
Birth century
Died
1979
Occupation
Nationality
Education
McGill University, University of Chicago
Employers
McGill University
Also known as
Anna Isobel McPherson

People in Anna McPherson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Anna McPherson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Anna McPherson?

Canadian physicist

When was Anna McPherson born?

Anna McPherson was born in 1901.

When did Anna McPherson die?

Anna McPherson died in 1979.

What was Anna McPherson's occupation?

Anna McPherson was a physicist.

What nationality was Anna McPherson?

Anna McPherson was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Anna McPherson

· Wikidata: Q73305558

· DBpedia: Anna McPherson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Anna McPherson. https://biography.guide/anna-mcpherson/

MLA: "Anna McPherson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/anna-mcpherson/.

Chicago: "Anna McPherson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/anna-mcpherson/.

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