Katharine Burr Blodgett’s career ascent began in 1918 at General Electric’s renowned research facility in Schenectady, New York, nicknamed the “House of Magic.” At 20, she entered a male-dominated world as an assistant to Irving Langmuir, a luminary in materials science whose work propelled GE to prominence. Her story, however, is inextricably linked to the city’s dark past.
While Blodgett’s arrival signaled a pursuit of scientific discovery, it also represented a return to the site of personal tragedy. In December 1897, her father, George Redington Blodgett, was murdered in their Schenectady home. The unsolved crime haunted the city for decades, yet Blodgett later chose to live and work just steps away from where the incident occurred. This decision begs the question: was it scientific ambition or a deeper, unresolved connection that drew her back?
Schenectady in the early 20th century was dominated by GE. The company built not only factories but also entire neighborhoods for its executives, creating a self-contained world of innovation and privilege. Today, the city bears the scars of GE’s decline, its identity once wholly reliant on the corporation. Yet, echoes of that era remain in the architecture and local lore.
Blodgett herself settled in the historic Stockade District, a neighborhood still reflecting the wealth of its past. She chose not to pursue academic or alternative corporate opportunities – Westinghouse, Bell Labs – but focused solely on GE. Why? Her own explanation, given decades later, was blunt: “I needed a job, and my father had been in the General Electric company, and I looked in that direction.”
The circumstances surrounding her father’s murder remain disturbing. He was shot by an unknown assailant, collapsing after briefly chasing the intruder. His wife, Katharine Burr, fired a gun to summon help, but the perpetrator was never identified. The tragedy cast a long shadow over the Blodgett family, and the city itself.
Blodgett’s return to Schenectady is a compelling paradox. Despite lacking childhood memories of her father, she chose to live near the crime scene, eventually purchasing a home across the street from where he died. This decision suggests a complex relationship with her past, one driven by pragmatism, curiosity, or perhaps an unacknowledged need for closure.
The story of Katharine Blodgett is a reminder that even the most brilliant careers are shaped by personal history. Her choice to work at GE in the shadow of her father’s murder raises questions about the power of place, memory, and the enduring influence of trauma. She was a pioneer in science, yet her legacy is interwoven with a tragedy that Schenectady would not forget.
