Born 3 November 1895
Saint John, New Brunswick ( 1895-11-03 ) Died 20 September 1990, Toronto, Canada Education McGill University, University of Toronto | ||
Madeleine Alberta Fritz (3 November 1896 – 20 August 1990) sometimes referred to as “the great-grandmother of Paleozoic Bryozoa”, was a Canadian paleontologist. A professor at the University of Toronto teaching vertebrate studies in the department of Geology. Fritz's writing on the fossil Bryozoa was a major contribution to the geological field and to her credibility.
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She belonged to several societies; The Royal Ontario Museum as an associate director (1936 – 1955), Invertebrate paleontology curator (1955 – 1957) and became professor at University of Toronto under the Department of Geology for paleontology (1956 – 1967). Frtiz was a member of the Geological Association of Canada and the Geological Society of America and belonged to the Confederation of university women and International federation of university women panel of experts.
She contributed to Canada with her study on the paleontology and stratigraphy of Toronto and vicinity. Frtiz received the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967.
Early life
Madeleine Frtiz was born in Saint John, New Brunswick to a sea captain father. As a kid she often played around with sea creatures when sailing. This was an important initiative of her career, she began to become curious in fossil invertebrates.
Academic career
In 1919 Frtiz received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in Montreal. After receiving her degree she meet Alice Wilson, a paleontologist, and while working for her during the summer she became inspired to go back and pursue a geology degree from the University of Toronto. She managed to completed her M.A. in 1923 and her Ph.D. Becoming the first woman in Canada to have ever received that level of degree within the geology field. in 1926.
Honours
Frtiz received several honours, in 1942 she entered the Royal Society of Canada as the second woman to receive such honour within Canada. In 1967 Fritiz received the Canadian Centennial Medal.