Christine Elizabeth Essenberg

Christine Elizabeth Adamson Essenberg (1876–1965) was a Swedish-American marine zoologist, teacher, and advocate for women's education. She became one of the first women to earn a PhD in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley, and is known for her expertise in polychaetes and plankton studies. Essenberg conducted research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and made significant contributions to marine biology by discovering and describing several new species of polychaetes within the Polynoidae and Amphinomidae families, thereby expanding the taxonomy and understanding of marine invertebrates along the Pacific Coast.

In addition to her scientific achievements, Essenberg was a dedicated advocate for women's education. In 1925, she established the American School for Girls in Damascus, Syria, the region's first nonsectarian American girls’ school. The school offered a wide range of educational programs and became a center for women's empowerment, health, and literacy. Despite facing the challenges of the Great Syrian Revolt and World War II, she remained committed to improving educational opportunities for women in the region.

Early life and education Christine Elizabeth Adamson was born on April 6, 1876, to Swedish parents on a farm in Livonia, then part of the Baltic provinces of the Russian Empire. As a young child, she was adopted by a German noble family and educated by private tutors. Her adopted family discouraged her interest in studying science, adhering to the belief that such subjects were not suitable for girls.

She lived with her adopted family for 20 years on a semi-feudal estate.

In 1922–1923, Essenberg undertook a year-long research trip to visit marine laboratories around the globe to advance her plankton studies. Upon her return to the United States, Essenberg advocated for the founding of a girls' school in Syria. The school struggled financially, and Essenberg worked without pay for her 23-year tenure, supporting herself by teaching private lessons. She also conducted several fundraising tours across the United States, earning recognition and support from prestigious organizations such as the California Academy of Sciences and the American Association of University Women.

Scripps College adopted the American school as its sister college, and several prominent Americans served on the board, including Dr. John Carruthers, Mrs. Francis William Kellogg, Thrysa Amos, Harlow Shapley, Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, and Dr. Mary E Wooley.

Essenberg remained in Damascus throughout World War II and transformed part of the school into a recreation area for Allied servicemen and women. The French bombardment of Damascus in 1945 damaged the school's building, but it remained open afterwards.

Essenberg returned to the United States in 1947 and accepted a faculty position at Mount Saint Mary's College in Santa Monica, where she taught German and French. She died in San Francisco in 1965 at the age of 89.

Personal life Christine Elizabeth Adamson married Jacob Essenberg in 1910, but the couple later divorced.

Selected publications Essenberg, C. E. (1915). The habits and natural history of the backswimmers Notonectidae. Journal of Animal Behavior, 5(5), 381–390. Essenberg, C. E. (1915). The habits of the water-strider Gerris remiges. Journal of Animal Behavior, 5(5), 397–402. Essenberg, C. E. (1917). On some new species of Aphroditidae from the coast of California. University of California Publications in Zoology, 16(22), 401–430. Essenberg, C. E. (1917). Description of some new species of Polynoidae from the coast of California. University of California Publications in Zoology, 18(3), 45–60. Essenberg, C. E. (1917). New species of Amphinomidae from the Pacific Coast. University of California Publications in Zoology, 18(4), 61–74. Essenberg, C. E. (1918). The factors controlling the distribution of the Polynoidae of the Pacific Coast of North America. University of California Publications in Zoology, 18(11), 171–238. Essenberg, C. E. (1919). The pteropod Desmopterus pacificus sp. nov. University of California Publications in Zoology, 19(2), 85–88. Essenberg, C. E. (1922). The seasonal distribution of the Appendicularians in the region of San Diego, California. Ecology, 3(1), 55–64. Essenberg, C. E. (1922). Stylarioides papillosa sp. nov. A new annelid from the San Diego region. University of California Publications in Zoology, 22(6), 379–381. Essenberg, C. E. (1924). The incomplete digestive tract of Appendicularia sicula. University of California Publications in Zoology, 26(14), 263–265. Essenberg, C. E. (1926). Copelata from the San Diego region. University of California Publications in Zoology, 28(22), 399–521. Essenberg, C. E. (1926). Observations on gradual disintegration and death of Copelata. University of California Publications in Zoology, 28(22), 523–525.