A To Z Of Women In Science And Math

2008·5.1 MB·English

by  LISA YOUNT

W
A to Z o f o m e n
A TO Z OF
W
OMEN
S
IN CIENCE
M
AND ATH

REVISED EDITION
L I S A Y O U N T
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A to Z of Women in Science and Math, Revised Edition
Copyright © 2008, 1999 by Lisa Yount
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in
writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
An imprint of Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street
New York NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yount, Lisa.
A to Z of women in science and math / Lisa Yount. — Rev. ed.
p. cm. — (A to Z of women)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8160-6695-7 (alk. paper)
1. Women scientists—Biography—Encyclopedias. 2. Women mathematicians—Biography—Encyclopedias.
I. Title. II. Title: Women in
science and math.
Q141.Y675 2007
509.2’2—dc22 2007023966
Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations,
institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at [phone]
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Text design by Joan McEvoy and Cathy Rincon
Cover design by Salvatore Luongo
Printed in the United States of America
VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Th is book is printed on acid-free paper.
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T
o past women scientists
with admiration for all they have achieved
despite tremendous odds
and
To future women scientists
in the hope that the odds against them will be less
and their achievements even greater
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CONTENTS
Y
Acknowledgments vii Brooks, Harriet 39 Fleming, Williamina Paton
Author’s Note ix Buck, Linda B. 40 Stevens 89
Introduction xi Burbidge, Eleanor Margaret Flügge-Lotz, Irmgard 91
Peachey 43 Fossey, Dian 92
Entries: Cannon, Annie Jump 47 Franklin, Melissa Eve
Agnesi, Maria Gaetana 1 Carr, Emma Perry 49 Bronwen 94
Agnodice 2 Carson, Rachel Louise 50 Franklin, Rosalind Elsie 95
Ajakaiye, Deborah Enilo 2 Châtelet, Emilie, marquise Frith, Uta Aurnhammer 97
Alexander, Hattie Elizabeth 3 du 52 Galdikas, Biruté M. F. 99
Ancker-Johnson, Betsy 4 Chung, Fan Rong Kung 53 Gardner, Julia Anna 101
Andam, Aba A. Bentil 6 Clark, Eugenie 55 Geiringer, Hilda 102
Anderson, Elda Emma 7 Cleopatra the Alchemist 56 Geller, Margaret Joan 103
Anderson, Elizabeth Garrett 7 Cobb, Jewel Plummer 56 Germain, Marie Sophie 105
Anning, Mary 9 Colborn, Th eodora Emily Gilbreth, Lillian Evelyn
Apgar, Virginia 10 Decker 58 Moller 106
Auerbach, Charlotte 11 Colwell, Rita Barbara Rossi 60 Good, Mary Lowe 108
Avery, Mary Ellen 13 Cori, Gerty Th eresa Radnitz 62 Goodall, Valerie Jane 109
Ayrton, Hertha 14 Cremer, Erika 65 Grandin, Temple 112
Bailey, Florence Augusta Curie, Marie 66 Hamilton, Alice 117
Merriam 17 Daubechies, Ingrid 69 Hammel, Heidi 119
Bascom, Florence 18 Dick, Gladys Rowena Henry 70 Hawes, Harriet Ann Boyd 121
Bassi, Laura Maria Catarina 20 Dresselhaus, Mildred Hay, Elizabeth Dexter 121
Bechtereva, Natalia Petrovna 21 Spiewak 71 Hazen, Elizabeth Lee 123
Belcher, Angela 22 Duplaix, Nicole 73 Herschel, Caroline Lucretia 124
Bell Burnell, Susan Jocelyn 24 Earle, Sylvia Alice 75 Hildegarde of Bingen 126
Benedict, Ruth Fulton 26 Eastwood, Alice 77 Hodgkin, Dorothy
Bennett, Isobel Ida 27 Eddy, Bernice 78 Crowfoot 127
Blackburn, Elizabeth Helen 28 Edinger, Johanna Gabrielle Hopper, Grace Brewster
Blackwell, Elizabeth 31 Ottelie 80 Murray 129
Blodgett, Katharine Burr 33 Edlund, Sylvia 80 Horney, Karen Danielsen 131
Boden, Margaret 34 Elion, Gertrude Belle 81 Hrdy, Sarah Blaff er 133
Brandegee, Mary Katharine Evans, Alice Catherine 84 Hyde, Ida Henrietta 135
Layne 35 Faber, Sandra Moore 87 Hyman, Libbie Henrietta 136
Breazeal, Cynthia 37 Fawcett, Stella Grace Maisie 88 Hypatia 137
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A to Z of Women in Science and Math
Ildstad, Suzanne T. 139 Meitner, Lise 204 Simpson, Joanne Gerould 270
Jackson, Shirley Ann 141 Merian, Maria Sibylla 206 Singer, Maxine 271
Jacoba Felicie 142 Mexia, Ynes Enriquetta Sithole-Niang, Idah 273
Jemison, Mae Carol 143 Julietta 208 Slye, Maud Caroline 274
Joliot-Curie, Irène 144 Mitchell, Maria 209 Smith, Amy 275
Jorge Pádua, Maria Tereza 146 Morawetz, Cathleen Synge 210 Solomon, Susan 277
Kelsey, Frances Oldham 149 Morgan, Ann Haven 212 Somerville, Mary Fairfax 280
Kenyon, Cynthia 150 Moss, Cynthia 213 Steitz, Joan Argetsinger 281
King, Mary-Claire 153 Mount Pleasant, Jane 215 Stevens, Nettie Maria 284
King, Reatha Belle Clark 156 Nadkarni, Nalini M. 217 Stewart, Alice 285
Kirch, Maria Margaretha Nice, Margaret Morse 219 Stewart, Sarah 286
Winkelmann 157 Noether, Emmy 220 Tarter, Jill Cornell 289
Klein, Melanie Reizes 158 Noguchi, Constance Tom 222 Taussig, Helen 291
Koehl, Mimi A. R. 159 Novello, Antonia Coello 224 Th arp, Marie 293
Kopell, Nancy Jane 161 Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane 225 Trotter, Mildred 296
Kovalevskaia, Sofi a Nuttall, Zelia Maria Trotula of Salerno 298
Vasilyevna 162 Magdalena 226 Turkle, Sherry 299
Krim, Mathilde Galland 164 Ocampo, Adriana C. 229 Turner, Helen Alma Newton 301
Ladd-Franklin, Christine 167 Ocampo-Friedmann, Roseli 231 Van Dover, Cindy Lee 303
Leakey, Mary Douglas Nicol 168 Ohta, Tomoko 232 Vrba, Elisabeth 305
Leavitt, Henrietta Swan 170 Patrick, Ruth 235 Wadhwa, Meenakshi 307
Lehmann, Inge 171 Patterson, Francine 237 Wambugu, Florence
Levi-Montalcini, Rita 172 Payne, Katharine Boynton 238 Muringi 308
Levy, Jerre 175 Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia Wexler, Nancy Sabin 310
Levy, Julia 176 Helena 239 Wheeler, Anna Johnson
Lonsdale, Kathleen Yardley 177 Perey, Marguerite Pell 312
Love, Susan M. 178 Catherine 240 Widnall, Sheila Evans 313
Lovelace, Augusta Ada Pert, Candace Beebe 241 Williams, Anna Wessels 314
Byron 180 Porco, Carolyn C. 243 Wong-Staal, Flossie 315
Lubchenco, Jane 182 Quimby, Edith Hinkley 247 Wright, Jane Cooke 317
Maathai, Wangari Muta 185 Quinn, Helen Rhoda Wrinch, Dorothy Maud 318
Makhubu, Lydia Phindile 187 Arnold 248 Wu, Chien-shiung 320
Margulis, Lynn Alexander 188 Rajalakshmi, R. 251 Yalow, Rosalyn Sussman 323
Maria the Jewess 190 Randall, Lisa 252 Yener, Kutlu Aslihan 326
Marrack, Philippa 190 Richards, Ellen Henrietta Zhao Yufen 329
Matson, Pamela A. 192 Swallow 254
Matzinger, Polly Celine Robinson, Julia Bowman 256 Recommended Sources on
Eveline 193 Rubin, Vera Cooper 258 Women Scientists and
Maury, Antonia Caetana 195 Sabin, Florence Rena 261 Mathematicians 331
Mayer, Maria Gertrude Saruhashi, Katsuko 263 Entries by Field 337
Goeppert 196 Scott, Charlotte Angas 264 Entries by Country of Birth 341
McClintock, Barbara 198 Seibert, Florence Barbara 265 Entries by Country of Major
McNally, Karen Cook 200 Shiva, Vandana 266 Scientifi c Activity 345
Mead, Margaret 201 Silbergeld, Ellen Kovner 268 Entries by Year of Birth 349
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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Iw ould like to thank the following for their help: Th e Nicole Bowen, my editor at Facts On File, who
living women represented in this volume who took proposed this project and provided many kinds of
the time to read and correct their entries and, in some assistance along the way.
cases, send me additional material or speak with me Last but never least, my husband, Harry Hen-
by phone or e-mail about their lives and work. derson, who provided extremely useful computer
Th e staff s of the libraries, archives, and news research, patiently sent endless faxes, and, above all,
bureaus of many universities, who assisted me in gave his love and support during this project, as he
fi nding photographs. does for everything I do.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
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There is no perfect way to decide on entrants 2. Fame. I have included some women who are
for a volume such as this, particularly one very well known or who have had a major
that includes the contemporary period, in which social impact, such as Elizabeth Blackwell
(I am happy to say) a far larger number of tal- and Rachel Carson, even though they made
ented women scientists are working than ever few or no research advances.
before. Inevitably, I will have included women 3. D iversity. I have tried to include a diverse
whose importance some readers will question and sampling of nationalities, ethnic groups,
excluded others for whose inclusion a good case periods, and fi elds.
could be made.
I apologize to all the women who deserve to be in
My choices were based primarily on the follow-
this encyclopedia and are not. In most cases their
ing three factors:
exclusion does not represent my value judgment
1. I mportance of contribution to science. For of their work but simply means that I did not
the most part, I have chosen women who encounter material about them when I was doing
made a direct contribution through research my research. I may be able to rectify some of these
rather than indirect ones through, say, teach- oversights in a future edition.
ing or writing. Th is factor has, however, been
modifi ed by two others:
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