American Biochemist: Gertrude Belle Elion

Gertrude Belle Elion, an American biochemist, born on January 23, 1918 in New York City, New York was a brilliant mastermind in the world of medicine. Growing up in the lower-middle class in the Bronx, with her immigrant parents and younger brother Herbert, many difficulties were in her way of success as a child. The young Gertrude Elion did exceptionally well in her academics. Excelling in her school work, with the passion and drive she will demonstrate throughout her lifetime, she surpassed a majority of her peers and accelerated forward two years. Constantly besieged with stereotypes and skeptic individuals, Gertrude Elion worked her whole life to tear down societal barriers and achieve her dreams. Her work alongside George H. Hitchings

Elion entered the world of chemistry and research, many were doubtful of her competency and success towards the job. Gertrude Elion recalls her first encounter with the issue of women in the workplace (over an interview with Nobel Prize Biographical), “Nobody… took me seriously. They wondered why in the world I wanted to be a chemist when no women were doing that. The world was not waiting for me.” Ms. Elion not only overcame the sexist stereotypes of women in the work place, “[j]obs were scarce and the few positions that existed in laboratories were not available to women.” (“Gertrude B. Elion – Biographical”), soon becoming a respected and well known scientist among her peers, but also achieving her dream from childhood to make a difference as she did so. Gertrude Elion began her scientific career with hard work and determination, and like most women usually did during this time, took advantage of the fact men had to serve in World War II "It was only when men weren't available that women were invited into the lab…” (quoted in “Gertrude Belle Elion”). Despite having been over qualified for the thousands of jobs she had applied for, to work as a chemist, she was denied a position because of her gender. And so, before she became the influential individual she is now, she held multiple jobs and relied on her parents to help sustain her income. Gertrude held positions as a lab assistant at the New York Hospital School of Nursing, a research chemist at Johnson & Johnson©, a chemistry and physics substitute in multiple New York City high schools, and lastly as an assistant organic chemist at Denver Chemical Manufacturing Company©. All before she joined Burroughs Wellcome Laboratories (known more commonly today as the GlaxoSmithKline© or gsk©) a pharmaceutical company, where she met George Hitchings, where they began their grueling work towards the future of