Mary Engle Pennington (1872-1952), a chemist and bacteriologist, was a pioneer in the advancement of the preservation of perishable foods during the first half of the 20th century.

Mary Engle Pennington was born on October 8, 1872, in Nashville, Tennessee, the elder of two daughters born to Henry and Sarah B. (Molony) Pennington. A few years after her birth, Pennington's family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be closer to her mother's relatives, a well-to-do Quaker family. Her father established a successful business in label manufacturing, and the family lived in a three-story red brick house near the University of Pennsylvania. Her parents were very supportive of their daughters and encouraged them to pursue their interests. As a youngster, Pennington learned to garden, a hobby she shared with her father and maintained throughout her life.

Pennington also enjoyed reading and spent considerable time at the public library. When she was 12 years...