Mária Telkes

Born on 12 December 1900 in Budapest, Hungary, Mária Telkes was a physical chemist known for her innovative work in solar technology. After earning her PhD from the University of Budapest in 1924, Telkes immigrated to the US, where she went to work for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation as a biophysicist. In 1937, the same year she became a US citizen, Telkes accepted a position at Westinghouse Electric as a research engineer. In 1939 she began research on solar energy, working on solar-powered thermoelectric devices as part of the Solar Energy Conversion Project at MIT. During World War II, Telkes was assigned to the US Office of Scientific Research and Development, where she created a solar water distiller for making seawater potable. After the war, she remained at MIT, becoming an associate research professor in metallurgy in 1945. In 1948 Telkes undertook perhaps her most famous project: the Dover Sun House, the first solar-heated residence. Built in Dover, Massachusetts, the house used sodium sulfate crystals to absorb and store the Sun’s heat and then radiate it back to maintain a constant temperature. In recognition of her contributions to solar-energy technology, Telkes was honored in 1952 with the first-ever achievement award given by the Society of Women Engineers. In 1953 she accepted a position in solar-energy research at New York University and received a grant from the Ford Foundation to develop a solar cooking oven for use in developing countries. Telkes continued to work for both industry and academia, improving solar technology and even developing solar materials for use in space. When she retired in 1977, she received both a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Sciences Building Research Advisory Board and the Charles Greeley Abbot Award from the American Solar Energy Society. Over her career Telkes published more than 100 articles and obtained some 20 patents. She died in Budapest at age 94 in 1995. (Photo credit: US Library of Congress)

Date in History: 12 December 1900