Ten Facts about Gertrude Elion

Ten facts about Gertrude Elion 

 

1. Her parents came to the U.S from Poland. Her father was a dentist and her mother was a homemaker. 
2. She had a brother and they had a happy childhood.
3. She had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed all her subjects at school. 
4. Death of her grandfather due to cancer when she was 15 made her choose Chemistry as a major subject.
5. Those days girls either went on to become teachers or did scientific research. 
6. She was the only female student in the graduate Chemistry class
7. She got her Master of Science degree in Chemistry in 1941.
8. It was WWII that made her employed 
9. She liked Music and Photography
10. She went beyond Chemistry to other fields like biochemistry, pharmacology, immunology and eventually virology.
11. She never got married. Her work became her vocation and avocation.