Seven women reflect on the life and legacy of trailblazer Lulu Gaiser

Seven women from across McMaster University were asked to reflect on the life and legacy of trailblazer Lulu Gaiser – the first woman to become a faculty member in 1925 and then lead the Biology and Botany Departments in the 1930s and 40s.

Renee Twyford

Biology student, greenhouse volunteer and member of Nature at McMaster Coordinator

“I would’ve loved learning from Dr. Gaiser. She reminds me of all the wonderful women I’ve had as professors. Can you imagine if I got to do my research in a greenhouse that honours Dr. Gaiser? That would be perfect. And I’d never get tired of talking about Dr. Gaiser’s life and legacy to anyone and everyone who asked why her name was attached to the greenhouse.”

Kristina Llewellyn

Professor, History and affiliate faculty member with the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement at McMaster University 

“Women in the early 20^th century weren’t meant to get an education for their own personal ambitions. They earned a degree so they could be of future service to others. Dr. Gaiser was so far ahead of the times. Being a teacher was one thing. Becoming a researcher and competing with men for funding, equipment and students was something else entirely. Blazing that trail couldn’t have been easy.”

Marie Elliot

Biology Professor, Chair of the Biology department and long-time champion of Prof. Lulu Gaiser

“I get the sense Dr. Gaiser was no less bold, decisive, driven and direct as the men she worked with and reported to. She didn’t seem to suffer fools gladly. And maybe that approach ran against the stereotype where, as a woman, she was expected to be nurturing and mothering, collaborative and consultative not just with students but with the grown men who were her colleagues.”

Elizabeth Weretilynk

Biology Professor

“In the early days of the National Herbarium of Canada, all of the key people were likely trained by Lulu. From everything I’ve read, Lulu was an outstanding supervisor and mentor. And then there was the speed of Dr. Gaiser’s work and her productivity as a scientist.”

Maureen MacDonald

Kinesiology Professor and the first woman to be appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science in 2017

“Based on everything I’ve learned about Dr. Gaiser, she was a truly remarkable educator, researcher and administrator. Imagine what she could have achieved if any of these supports had been in place? If she had allies standing with her and advocating for her when she wasn’t in the room? Would she have spent the rest of her career at McMaster? Could she have been a key contributor when it came to building our university into a research powerhouse?”

Erin Reid

Professor, Human Resources and Management and Canada Research Chair in Work, Careers & Organizations

“It’s interesting that history sees Dr. Gaiser as ‘prickly and difficult’ and that she was treated as such by colleagues and leaders at the time, She doesn’t necessarily sound more difficult than her colleagues. To succeed in her academic role, she would need to behave assertively and aggressively and yet she was still likely expected by others to behave in ways that fulfilled feminine stereotypes. Behavior that might’ve been interpreted as appropriate for men could’ve been coded as ‘difficult and prickly’ for her.”

Allison Williams

Professor, School of Earth, Environment & Society and a social and health geographer who leads the Canadian Institute for Health Research/Social Science Humanities Health Research (CIHR)/SSHRC Healthy Productive Work Partnership Grant

“I’m not sure how Dr. Gaiser managed it all as an educator, researcher, administrator and primary caregiver for her father. I know from all of the research that being a primary caregiver to a family member for an extended period of time without support can lead to serious physical and psychological strain, exhaustion, chronic stress and burnout.”