Belyea, Helen

  • From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: See full biography at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Belyea
  • Wiki Biography:
    • Helen Reynolds Belyea, OC FRSC (February 11, 1913 – May 20, 1986), was a Canadian geologist best known for her research in Western Canada on the Devonian System, a geologic period of the Paleozoic era.
    • Belyea was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, to a family with French Huguenot origins. Her parents were William Belyea and Elizabeth McDonald.
    • Belyea was also active in mountaineering, skiing, walking, and horseback riding. She often rode horseback in the mountains of Alberta, British Columbia and the Great Slave Lake area. She was a member of the Calgary Continuing Arts Association, the Women’s League of the Calgary Philharmonic and associate director of the Calgary Zoological Society.
    • Belyea promoted feminism in her field as a result of her presence within the geological world. Societal norms of the 19th century confined women to the role of housewives, however Belyea’s notable contributions and efforts enabled her to work in the field alongside men as equals. She became the first woman to work in the field studies, proving that women were capable of working in the same field as men. It is important to note that as women got accepted into jobs in the field of geology, they faced significant challenges in securing respectable positions. Notably, these women were expected to remain unmarried, marriage often resulted in the loss of their jobs. It is likely that as a result of this, Belyea never married. Helen Belyea established herself as an authority figure within her field of study, specifically her research and analysis of the Devonian geologic system in Western Canada.
    • Belyea formally retired in 1975 after 35 years of contribution to the Geological Survey of Canada. However, her study of geology didn’t end with her retirement as she continued working with the Institute of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology.
    • On May 20, 1986, Helen Belyea died at the age of 73 in Calgary, Alberta.
  • Third Great Granddaughter of United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=509
  • Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/236303510/helen-reynolds-belyea