Doris Mable Cochran (1898-1968) Herpetologist/Weaver
In her leisure hours, noted herpetologist Doris Cochran was a skilled fiber artist. She collected the fur shed by her many pet Persian and Angora cats, spun it into yarn, and wove blankets that she gave to friends and colleagues. Cochran began her career as an aide in the Division of Reptiles and Amphibians in 1918, rising to the rank of curator in 1956. She used her artistic talents to draw scientific illustrations of the frogs she studied. Cochran was also a dauntless explorer, traveling through South America, Central America, and the West Indies. From her first field trip to Brazil in 1935, she returned with more than a ton and a half of specimens.
Related Resources
- Meet the Scientist: Doris Mabel Cochran, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
- Women in Science Wednesday: Doris Mabel Cochran and Doris Holmes Blake, The Bigger Picture Blog, Smithsonian Institution Archives
- Brief Notes on the Not So Brief Career of Doris Cochran, Field Book Project Blog
- Women in Science, Historical Edition: Doris Cochran's struggle for promotion at the Smithsonian, by Leslie Masden-Brooks, The Clutter Museum Blog
Related Collections
- Doris Mable Cochran Papers, circa 1891-1968, Smithsonian Institution Archives
- Travelog of 1962‐1963 South American trip, Smithsonian Institution Archives