In Memoriam: Emily Wick, 1921-2013

Emily Wick, the first woman to earn tenure at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has died at her home in Rockport, Massachusetts. She was 91 years old.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Dr. Wick did her undergraduate work at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she majored in chemistry. She also earned a master’s degree in organic chemistry at Mount Holyoke and a Ph.D. in chemistry at MIT.

In 1959, Dr. Wick was hired as an assistant professor of chemistry at MIT. In 1965, she was appointed associate dean of students and in 1968 was promoted and granted tenure. At MIT, she was the co-founder of the Women’s Forum and was instrumental in the creation of the women’s varsity sailing team. Today the intercollegiate championship trophy in women’s sailing is named in her honor.

In 1973, Dr. Wick was named dean of the faculty at Mount Holyoke College and later served as special assistant to the president for long-range planning. She retired in 1986.