Marguerite Davis
| Marguerite Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Marguerite Davis September 16, 1887 Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | September 19, 1967 (aged 80) |
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Biochemist |
| Institutions | University of Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Known for | Discovering Vitamin A and B |
Marguerite Davis (September 16, 1887 – September 19, 1967) was an American biochemist, co-discoverer of vitamins A and B with Elmer Verner McCollum in 1913.[1]
In his 1964 autobiography, McCollum attributes his success in nutrition research to two people: Davis and Stephen Babcock. He also says that Davis was physically handicapped by severe burns that she received at age ten while playing at a bonfire when her clothing caught fire.[2]
She earned a bachelor of science degree in home economics[3] in 1910 at the University of California, Berkeley.[4] She then returned to the University of Wisconsin where she started but did not complete a master's degree. She moved to New Jersey, to work for the Squibb Pharmaceutical Company, later returning to the University of Wisconsin to teach and do research for a number of years.[5]
In 1913, Davis and McCollum identified what they termed fat-soluble A and water-soluble B, renamed later vitamins A and B,[6] after long research on rats.[7]
Davis founded the nutrition laboratory at the University of Wisconsin. She later helped Rutgers University in New Jersey form a nutrition lab as part of its School of Pharmacy. She pursued history and gardening after her retirement in 1940.[5]
Davis died in Racine three days after her eightieth birthday on September 19, 1967.[5]
Notes
- ↑ "Chemical & Engineering News: Top Pharmaceuticals: Vitamins". pubs.acs.org. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
- ↑ McCollum, Elmer Verner (1964). From Kansas Farm Boy to Scientist. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press. p. 124.
- ↑ Prengaman, Kate (Fall 2013). "The Birth of Vitamin A". OnWisconsin. Wisconsin Alumni Association. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
- ↑ Oakes, Elizabeth H. (2007-01-01). Encyclopedia of World Scientists. Infobase Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 9781438118826.
- 1 2 3 "Marguerite Davis Biography (1887-1967)". FAQs.org via Advameg. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
- ↑ Harvey, Joyce; Ogilvie, Marilyn (2000-07-27). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: Pioneering Lives from Ancient Times to the Mid-Twentieth Century. Taylor & Francis. p. 674. ISBN 9780203801451.
- ↑ Frankenburg, Frances Rachel (2009-01-01). Vitamin Discoveries and Disasters: History, Science, and Controversies. ABC-CLIO. p. 6. ISBN 9780313354755.