Woman at the Beginning of All Great Things

A maxim says: A woman is at the beginning of all great things. One example in this case is that of Nancy Alwa Edison (d. 1871), the mother of Thomas Alwa Edison (1847-1931), the famous scientist whose scientific discoveries number more than 1000. A school teacher, Nancy Edison, worked hard to add the name Thomas Edison to the list of the world’s most outstanding scientists.

Edison’s hearing was impaired from birth. He could not hear properly and was thus expelled from school. But his mother was not one to give up easily. She was responsible for educating her son, home-schooling him, and arranging his educational requirements. Edison’s mother played a constructive role in shaping her son’s future. She implanted the idea in her son’s mind that he was not retarded, and that this impediment was a challenge. She made Edison’s education her mission and encouraged her son to use his natural abilities to overcome obstacles. The result is that Edison’s name is now recorded in history as that of a great scientist and inventor! Edison acknowledged the role of his mother in his life: “She instilled in me the love and the purpose of learning.”