Rachel Carson :: Biography, Silent Spring

One of the prime ecologists in the world, best known for her book Silent Spring, was Rachel Carson. Rachel Carson’s book caused controversy and a scare for the progression of the environmental movement. â€Å"(Silent Spring) spells out in memorable detail through out the book the effects of synthetic insecticides and herbicides on water, soil, plants, wildlife, fish and human beings. But in the book’s final chapter she suggests alternative courses of action for mankind —- a way out of this march toward death.† (Holmes, Pg. 123) Rachel Carson had several accomplishments throughout her life many of which started at a young age. Carson was born in May of 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania. She was the third child born to Roger Carson and Mana Mclean. Her parents raised her with a strict Presbyterian background and a middleclass status. Her parents owned a farm and orchard which helped influence Carson’s love of the environment. Carson’s mom encouraged this love of the environment by teaching and learning with her. They continued to be best friends throughout her life. Carson had her first story published in St. Nicholas magazine at the age of ten. The story was about war and was inspired by letters that had been sent home by her brother who was a soldier in World War I. In 1922 Carson wrote her first article about nature. It was called My Favorite Recreation, Going Bird’s Nesting. Carson Graduated from Parnassus High School in 1925. She participated in sports but was quiet and her main focus was her studies. She graduated top of her class where she then decided to go to college at the Pennsylvania College for Women in Pittsburg. This was a liberal arts college stationed sixteen miles from her home. Rachel Carson’s first interest was in English composition but she later changed her major to biology. She graduated in 1929 and went on to work at a marine biology lab. At the same time she continued her education at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. She graduated with a master’s degree in Zoology in 1932. Carson was then employed at the University of Maryland as an instructor. She did not acquire her PHD because she ran out of funds for research due to The Great Depression. (Quaratiello, 2004) One of Carson’s great inspirations during college was her biology professor Mary Skinker who Carson later turned to for help. Skinker recommended Carson for a job in the Zoological division of the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington D.