img

Submit An Obituary

Honor a Life. Preserve a Legacy.

SACRED LEGACY ARCHIVES™

Katharine Burr Blodgett

1898-01-10 – 1979-10-12

Portrait of Katharine Burr Blodgett
Description: In 1938, when this publicity photograph was taken, physicist Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898-1979) worked at General Electric Research Laboratories, where she did important research in surface chemistry and thin films. She received the American Chemical Society's Garvan Medal in 1951. Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer Medium: Black and white photographic print Date: 1938 Persistent URL: [1] Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives Collection: Science Service Records, 1902-1965 (Record Unit 7091) - Science Service, now the Society for Science & the Public, was a news organization founded in 1921 to promote the dissemination of scientific and technical information. Although initially intended as a news service, Science Service produced an extensive array of news features, radio programs, motion pictures, phonograph records, and demonstration kits and it also engaged in various educational, translation, and research activities. Accession number: SIA2007-0282Credit: Smithsonian Institution from United States

Life & Legacy

Katharine Burr Blodgett (January 10, 1898 – October 12, 1979) was an American physicist and chemist known for her work on surface chemistry, in particular her invention of "invisible" or non-reflective glass while working at General Electric. She was the first woman to be awarded a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge, in 1926.

Occupation & Career

physicist, inventor, chemist

Education

University of Cambridge; University of Chicago; Bryn Mawr College; Misses Rayson's Boarding and Day School

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Garvan–Olin Medal; National Inventors Hall of Fame; honorary doctorate from Brown University; Fellow of the American Physical Society

Legacy Highlights

Honors & Awards

Fellow of the American Physical Society · Garvan–Olin Medal · honorary doctorate from Brown University · National Inventors Hall of Fame

Employer

General Electric

Organizations & Memberships

Graduate Women in Science

Education & Institutions

Bryn Mawr College · Misses Rayson's Boarding and Day School · University of Cambridge · University of Chicago

Verified Legacy Record

Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q21482 — wikidata View source

Are you related to Katharine Burr Blodgett?

Family members can contribute records, photographs and stories or request stewardship of this legacy.

Claim this legacy or contribute family history

Sacred Legacy Memorial Concierge © 2026 All Rights Reserved

View Family Tree