Storied Women of MIT: Shirley Ann Jackson

"Storied Women of MIT" is a series of 60-second historical profiles of MIT students, researchers, and staff that demonstrates the role of women at the Institute from its founding to today.


Shirley Ann Jackson '68, PhD '73 of Washington, D.C. was one of the first black women to earn a Bachelor's degree from MIT, and the first black woman to earn a PhD from the Institute. Today she serves as the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a permanent member of the MIT Corporation.

Timeline: 2010s
School: School of Science
Department: Physics
Life: Black Students' Union (BSU)
Career: EducationEngineeringGovernment & LawScience
Object: Video
Collection: Critical Mass 1955-1968, Integration and Differentiation 1969-1994, MIT Corporation, Rising Voices 1995-Present, Shirley A. Jackson, Women