Eunice Newton Foote (July 17, 1819 – September 30, 1888) was an American scientist and inventor. She was a relative of the famous scientist Isaac Newton and is believed to be the first scientist to research and conclude on the greenhouse effect (not John Tyndall, as many people think) as early as 1856.
Design of a paper-making machine by Eunice Foote in 1864.
It wasn’t until her research was rediscovered in 2010 that she received recognition.
Eunice was born in Connecticut, USA. Despite being educated and trained in science, she was not able to access more advanced studies and was not awarded a university degree due to being a woman.
Illustration of scientist Eunice Foote.
She spent time conducting independent research, experimenting in physics, and published two studies, becoming the first woman in America to do so. One of these was “The Cases Affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays” in 1856 – a study that made Eunice the first scientist to describe the greenhouse effect.
Painting of Rensselaer School, where she studied, in 1824.
However, her work was forgotten for over a century until geologist Raymond Sorenson accidentally discovered and republished her research in 2011.
The first pages of Eunice Foote’s study “The Cases Affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays” from 1856.
In her study, Eunice described an experiment comparing heating and cooling systems in two gas-filled cylinders. Through this experiment, she found that the cylinder containing CO2 had a significantly higher temperature than the normal gases when exposed to sunlight, and its cooling time was also much longer.
“Declaration of Rights and Sentiments” – a document from the women’s rights movement in 1848 in the United States. Eunice was one of the 68 women who signed this document.
From this, she concluded that areas with thinner air would experience more sunlight and that higher levels of CO2 would cause the Earth to warm. This is considered the first research on the greenhouse effect, published three years before scientist John Tyndall’s announcement on the phenomenon.
After reading Eunice’s research, geologist Raymond Sorenson immediately recognized her as a great figure forgotten by the history of science.
The resting place of scientist Eunice Foote at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
In 2011, he published his findings in the online journal AAPG Search and Discovery, bringing deserved recognition to her pioneering role in the topic of CO2 and global warming.
Eunice Foote’s contributions extend beyond science; she also made significant strides in invention and the fight for women’s rights. She passed away in 1888. In 2022, the American Geophysical Union established the Eunice Newton Foote Medal to honor her legacy.
