Women Inventors Inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) was founded in 1973 to honor inventors and to bring public recognition to their contributions.
The Selection Committee of the NIHF Foundation, comprised of representatives from 40 scientific and technical organizations, chooses the new inductees, taking into account each inventor's contributions to human welfare and scientific progress. To be eligible for consideration, the nominee must hold at least one U.S. patent but does not have to be an American national.
Six women, from a total of 235 inventors, have been inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, from 1973 to 2005.
Elion, Gertrude Belle (1918-1999) (American) inducted in 1991.
Co-recipient of the 1988 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, Gertrude B. Elion made her most important contribution to pharmacology by pursuing the "enlightened empiricism" approach to drug development--a methodical system that replaced the "hit-or-miss" process. She discovered two anti-leukemia drugs, including 2-Amino-6-mercaptopurine, and has 43 patents for drugs developed with this method, such as a derivative, Imuran, which blocks the body's rejection of foreign tissues, and, when used with other drugs, enables kidney transplants from unrelated donors. Ms. Elion was also prominent in the development of other drugs, such as allopurinol (for the treatment of gout) and acyclovir (an antiviral agent used to treat herpes infections and sold under the trademark Zovirax).
Brown Fuller, Rachel (1898-1980) (American) inducted in 1994.
Organic chemist, Rachel Brown, teamed with Elizabeth Hazen to develop nystatin, the first non-toxic antifungal antibiotic. This drug is used to treat intestinal diseases and other fungus infections. In addition, Ms. Brown developed antiserum for the treatment of more than 40 types of pneumonia and a screening test for syphilis. She and Ms. Hazen donated US$13 million in nystatin royalties to promote scientific research. (See also Hazen, Elizabeth Lee, below.)
Hazen, Elizabeth Lee (1885-1975) (American) inducted in 1994.
Working with Rachel Brown, microbiologist Elizabeth Hazen invented nystatin, the first antibiotic to destroy harmful fungus infections without poisoning the patient. Prior to her work on antibiotics, Hazen traced outbreaks of diseases such as anthrax and food poisoning back to their sources. She was also instrumental in defining mycology research methods and standards for laboratories worldwide. (See also Fuller Brown, Rachel, above.)
Kwolek, Stephanie Louise (1923-) (American) inducted in 1995.
While working at Du Pont, chemist Stephanie Kwolek developed the first liquid crystalline polymer fibers. Her work became the foundation of the product Kevlar, a lightweight fiber which is five times stronger than steel, now used in products ranging from bullet-proof vests to spacecraft and artificial limbs, and which generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales worldwide. Ms. Kwolek's groundbreaking work helped create a new field in synthetic materials research.
Helen Free (1923-) (American) inducted in 2000.
In the mid-1940s, Alfred Free and Helen Murray were both chemists working together in the biochemistry research group at Miles Laboratories, Inc., in Elkhart, Indiana. Married in 1947, they continued their collaboration, becoming two of the world's leading experts on urinalysis. Their contributions include the development of dry reagents that have become the standard in laboratory urinalysis and the more consumer-oriented "dip-and-read" tests that first enabled diabetics to easily and accurately monitor their blood glucose levels on their own. The Frees co-authored two books: Urodynamics and Urinalysis in Laboratory Practice, both considered notable works in the field.
Patsy Sherman (1930-2000) (American) inducted in 2001.
Chemist Patsy Sherman and colleague Sam Smith were working at 3M Company when they created Scotchgard™. Scotchgard went on to become one of the most widely used and valuable products in stain repellency and soil removal, eventually bringing in over $300 million annually for 3M.
Edith Flanigen (1929-) (American) inducted in 2004.
In 1956, Edith Flanigen began working on the emerging technology of "molecular sieves; " crystalline microporous structures with large internal void volumes and molecular sized pores. These coumpounds can be used to purify and separate complex mixtures and catalyze or speed the rate of hydrocarbon reactions, and have widespread application in the petroleum refining and petrochemical industries. During her 42 year career at Union Carbide and UOP, Flanigen invented or co invented over 200 novel synthetic materials, and made substantial contributions to the product development of zeolite Y, an aluminosilicate sieve used to make oil refining more efficient, cleaner and safer. Her work with molecular sieves also led to innovative applications in water purification and environmental cleanup. Additionally, Flanigen invented a hydrothermal emerald synthesis process and pioneered the use of mid infrared spectroscopy for analyzing zeolite structures.
For more information about the National Inventors Hall of Fame, you may visit http://www.invent.org/index.asp
