page_title: Johanna Westerdijk
section_title: Inspiration for women and students
hierarchical_section_title: Johanna Westerdijk / Career / Inspiration for women and students
caption_attribution_description: Nederlands: Prof. dr. Johanna Westerdijk
context_page_description: Johanna Westerdijk was a Dutch plant pathologist and the first female professor in the Netherlands.
context_section_description: In 1917, she was appointed as the first female professor in the Netherlands, serving as associate professor of plant pathology in Utrecht University and in 1930 at the University of Amsterdam, with a total of 55 PhD students earning their degrees under her supervision in a period of 35 years. Almost half of them were women, being a source of inspiration for students interested in the history of women in science.
  She wrote over 70 publications covering a broad spectrum of plant diseases and mycology, but her main interest was in pathogenic diseases of trees and physiological diseases of plants and how to control them. Several of her publications involved trials of chemicals for disease control.
  Johanna Westerdijk was described by journalists as a young, natural, simple, and strong woman with a pleasant manner and a great sense of humor. She was also known by her close friends as loving to party, drink and dance and without an interest in marriage.
  When she wanted to test the progress of her students, she would take them to a fancy bakery surrounded by fashionable ladies and suddenly ask them questions such as "OK, now what can you tell me about yellow disease or any other disease". She also had her own tradition at every new PhD ceremony, where a flag would be raised and three geese wearing white, red and blue bows around their necks would parade around the building. The doctor and his/her professor advisor would plant a tree in the one and a half hectare garden. This tradition became legendary.
  All of the people who worked on their PhD in Baarn were inspired by the atmosphere and the influence of the laboratory's slogan "For fine minds, the art is to mix work and parties" which Johanna Westerdijk had carved in stone above the entrance to the room for practical work.
  Westerdijk was active in the International Federation of University Women, now known as Graduate Women International. She served as the organization's president from 1932–1936.
caption: Prof.dr. Johanna Westerdijk
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