Dr. Marie Clark Taylor was a botanist and teacher whose innovative teaching methods continue to shape our classrooms. Taylor became the first woman to receive a PhD from Fordham University in 1941. After serving in the Army Red Cross in New Guinea during World War II, she joined Howard University’s Botany Department, where she served as department chair for 29 years. Dr. Taylor created summer programs to show high school teachers how to incorporate her scientific methods, such as using botanical materials and light microscopes, into their classrooms. President Lyndon B. Johnson noticed her work and expanded her programs to reach classrooms around the country and world.