Vera Charles
Vera Charles (1903–1942) was an American mycologist. She was one of the first women to be appointed to professional positions within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Charles coauthored several articles on mushrooms while working for the USDA.[1]
Education
Charles attended Cornell University's Agriculture School. While in school, she primarily studied mycology, but also focused on plant pathology. After graduation, she began to work for the USDA, where she worked for many years.[1]
Career and research
During her career as a mycologist, Charles often worked with Flora Patterson, the first female mycologist in the USDA. During the 1910s and 1920s, they published many coauthored papers. These papers were held in high regard by Charles' and Patterson's contemporaries. This partnership continued until Patterson's death in 1928.[1]
Charles was responsible for inspecting many imported plants prior to the Plant Quarantine Act, enacted in 1912. Through inspecting these plants for signs of disease, Charles and her lab were the first to report and categorize potato wart disease. Charles and Patterson became primarily responsible for fungus research with the Pathological Collections after the organization of Plant Disease Survey in 1917. Charles also conducted research and publish articles on the fungal pathogens that North American insects face.[1]
Even after retiring, Charles collaborated with other mycologists. However, eventually Charles' eyesight weakened to the point that she could no longer use a microscope. After microscopy was no longer available to her, she began writing. In 1931 she published Introduction to Mushroom Hunting. In addition, she contributed a chapter to a 1935 book on careers for women. Her chapter was entitled "The Mycologist."[1]