Marie Laura Violet Gayler

Marie Laura Violet Gayler (25 March 1891 – 2 August 1976) was an English Metallurgist whose most notable contributions to her field were in the areas of Aluminium alloys and dental amalgams. She spent most of her career at the National Physical Laboratory, where she, along with Isabel Hadfield, were the first women to be appointed as staff in the department of metallurgy. Her parents were William Gayler, Director of Stamps and Excise at Somerset House and Ellen Amelia Chrismas, an artist, recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal from the Slade School in 1880 and whose work was exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Education Marie Gayler was educated at St Mary's School, Gerrards Cross and went on to study Chemistry and Mathematics at Bedford College, London (part of the University of London), graduating with a BSc in 1912.

Career After completing her BSc, she took a post teaching Botany at Colston's School, Bristol, before joining the Metallurgical Department of the National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom) (NPL) in 1915 where she was one of the first two women to be appointed to Walter Rosenhain's scientific staff.

In 1934 Gayler married her NPL colleague Dr. John Leslie Haughton, although she continued to use her maiden name for professional purposes. Although the marriage bar remained in force in the UK civil-service until 1946, Gayler's boss applied for special dispensation and she became one of only five women within the civil service allowed to continue working once married. This was sufficiently significant to be reported in the press at the time.

Retirement Gayler retired from NPL in 1947 at the age of 56 and used her retirement to devote more time to her interest in sculpture. She sculpted the head of renowned Professor William Hume-Rothery which stands in the library of the Department of Materials at Oxford University.

Marie Laura Violet Gayler died in Winchester in 1976.

Awards and honours 1947 Institute of Metals Platinum Medal 1947 British Dental Association honorary membership