Pennington, Mary Engle

Pennington, Mary Engle (1872–1952) chemist, refrigeration specialist; born in Nashville, Tenn. Persisting in her youthful desire to become a chemist, she eventually obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and then started her own laboratory for bacteriological analyses in Philadelphia (1898). This led to her becoming a lecturer at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania and the head of the city health department's laboratory. Her pioneer work in methods of preserving dairy products, particularly by refrigeration, led to her being named head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new Food Research Laboratory (1908–19); among her several practical innovations was the design of refrigerated railroad cars. After 1919 she worked in private industry and as a consultant, traveling throughout the U.S.A. to dispense the most advanced advice on keeping foods cold or frozen, on handling poultry and eggs, and on processing and preserving foods.