Mária Telkes (December 12, 1900 – December 2, 1995) was a Hungarian-American biophysicist, engineer, and inventor who worked on solar energy technologies. She moved to the United States in 1925 to work as a biophysicist. She became an American citizen in 1937 and started work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create practical uses of solar energy in 1939. During World War II, she developed a solar water distillation device, deployed at the end of the war, which saved the lives of downed airmen and torpedoed sailors. Her goal was to create a version for villagers in poor and arid regions. Telkes, often called by colleagues The Sun Queen, is considered one of the founders of solar thermal storage systems. After the war, she became an associate research professor at MIT. In the 1940s she and architect Eleanor Raymond created one of the first solar-heated houses, Dover Sun House, by storing energy each day. In 1953 they created a solar oven for people at various latitudes that could be used by children. In 1952, Telkes became the first recipient of the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award. She was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Sciences, subsequently receiving a Building Research Advisory Board Award in 1977. Telkes registered more than 20 patents.
Early life and education Telkes was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1900 to Aladár and Mária (née Lábán) de Telkes. Her grandfather Simon Telkes was from a Jewish family. In 1881, her father magyarized the family name to Telkes. In 1883 he converted to the Unitarian faith. In 1907 he was elevated to the Hungarian nobility, with the prefix kelenföldi. From an early age, Telkes was interested in chemistry, making her own chemistry set at age 10. Her father encouraged her explorations. Raised in Budapest, she embarked on a journey in physical chemistry at the University of Budapest, earning her Bachelor of Arts in 1920. In her first year there, she read an influential book, "Energy Sources of the Future" by Kornel Zelowitch. She said that book influenced her in deciding to go to the United States, since most solar energy work was being done there at that time. Her academic pursuits continued as she pursued a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Budapest, where she was a lecturer in physics from 1923 to 1924, completing her doctoral studies in 1924. Following her educational achievements, Telkes became an instructor at the University of Geneva in 1924. However, her life took a turn when, after visiting a relative who served as the Hungarian consul in Cleveland, Ohio, she decided to immigrate to the United States.
Career Telkes moved to the United States in 1925, and visited a relative who was the Hungarian consul in Cleveland, Ohio. There, she was hired to work at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, which was founded in 1921 by biomedical researcher George W. Crile, to investigate the energy produced by living organisms. Telkes did some research while working at the foundation, and under the leadership of George Washington Crile, they invented a photoelectric mechanism that could record brain waves. They also worked together to write a book called Phenomenon of Life. Becoming an American citizen in 1937 marked a pivotal moment in Telkes's life. That same year, she transitioned to a research engineer role at Westinghouse Electricand Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She initially focused on developing metal alloys for thermocouples to convert heat into electricity. Her venture into solar energy research began in 1939. As part of the Solar Energy Conversion Project at MIT, she investigated thermoelectric devices powered by sunlight. She was at MIT for 13 years and then at New York University for five years. Her most notable innovation was the invention of the solar distiller and the development of the first solar-powered heating system designed for residential use. In addition, Telkes also devised various devices capable of harnessing and utilizing energy stored from sunlight. Telkes aimed to address the reliance on traditional heating methods, often powered by non-renewable energy sources. Her work sought to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives, particularly in the context of residential heating.
Desalination During World War II, the United States government, noting Telkes's expertise, recruited her to serve as a civilian advisor to the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). There, she developed a solar-powered water desalination machine, completing a prototype in 1942. It came to be one of her most notable inventions because it helped soldiers get clean water in difficult situations and also helped solve water problems in the US Virgin Islands. However, its initial deployment was delayed until the end of the war because Hoyt C. Hottel repeatedly re-negotiated the manufacturing contracts for the machine. For this work, she received a Certificate of Merit in 1945 from the OSRD and on March 15, 1952, the Society of Women Engineers awarded her their first Achievement Award "for her wartime method of distilling water from salt water by solar heat."
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