Douglas, Dr. Allie Vibert

Dr. Allie (also addressed as Alice) Vibert Douglas, distinguished academic, astrophysicist and dean of women, was born in 1894 in Montreal. She received her B.A and M.Sc. from McGill in 1920 and 1921. An interval as statistician at the British War Office during World War I earned her the M.B.E. In 1925 she received her Ph.D. in astronomy. For fourteen years, 1925-1939, Dr. Douglas taught at McGill, then moved to Queen's where she served as Dean of Women from 1939 to 1959 and Professor of Astronomy from 1946. She retired in 1964. Dr. Douglas championed the role of women in education and worked hard to raise their status. She was the first Canadian to be president of the International Federation of University Women and served from 1947 to 1950. She was also the first woman president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. She received honorary degrees from McGill, Queen's and Queensland Universities and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1967. Dr. Douglas died in 1988 and in her honour astronomers named a recently discovered planet "Vibert Douglas".