Women Chemists in the National Inventors' Hall Of
50 Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 34, Number 1 (2009) WOMEN CHEMISTS IN THE NATIONAL INVENTORS’ HALL OF FAME: THEIR REMARKABLE LIVES AND THEIR AWARD-WINNING RESEARCH Mary Virginia Orna, College of New Rochelle The National Inventors’ Hall of Fame (NIHF) celebrates other individual or with a team, taking advantage of a the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of great inventors serendipitous event, curiosity, creativity, innovation, and by showcasing exhibits and presentations that allow a passion for chemistry. The qualities most applicable to visitors to experience the excitement of discovery, cre- each individual will be stressed in each section. ativity, and imagination. Founded in 1972 and located in Akron, Ohio, USA, the Hall of Fame is dedicated to Collaborative Efforts, Financial Straits: the individuals who conceived the great technologi- Rachel Fuller Brown and Gertrude Elion cal advances which the USA fosters through its patent system. Each year a Selection Committee composed of The lives and careers of two of the earliest inductees par- representatives from national scientific and technical allel one another in a remarkable way. Both Rachel Fuller organizations votes to select the most qualified inventors Brown (1898-1980), inducted posthumously in 1994 (2), from those nominated for the current year. To date, only and Gertrude Belle Elion (1918-1999), inducted in 1991 13 women of the more than 375 inventors thus honored (3), carried on their research in close collaboration with are members of the Hall of Fame, and of these 13, six one other scientist. are chemists (1): Rachel Fuller, Brown, Gertrude Belle Elion, Edith Flanigen, Stephanie Louise Kwolek, Helen Brown carried on a long-distance joint effort with Murray Free, and Patsy O’Connell Sherman.
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