Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin - The British Chemist with a Worldwide Perspective

Dorothy Crowfoot was born May 12, 1910, in Cairo Egypt to John and Grace Mary Crowfoot (nee Hood). He was an archaeologist with the Egyptian Ministry of Education in Khartoum. Egypt was a British colony at this time. Mrs. Crowfoot was self-taught in botany and art, and was considered an expert on Coptic textiles. The Crowfoots had four daughters who stayed in England while the parents' work took them to various countries. The children saw their parents only a few months out of any year and were cared for by family members and governesses. Dorothy Crowfoot was influenced by her mother to speak out against war and violence. Mrs. Crowfoot had lost four brothers to war. Dorothy attended Sir John Leman School, Beccles from 1921 until 1928. She was encouraged in her interest in chemistry by the teachers and by a family friend, Dr. A. F. Joseph. She received a book from her mother for her sixteenth birthday, Concerning the Nature of Things, by Sir William Henry Bragg, that explained how scientists used x-rays to study atoms and molecules.

In 1924, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This crippling disease would follow her throughout her life. But she did not allow its effects to slow her enthusiasm for life, people, or her research.

From 1928 through 1932, Dorothy Crowfoot attended Oxford and Sommerville College where she graduated with a degree in chemistry. She studied x-ray crystallography, a technology that combines chemistry, physics, and mathematics to determine the structure of atoms.

In 1933, she began her doctoral studies at Cambridge under John Desmond Bernal, who was also interested in atomic structures in biology. Her college expenses were paid for by her aunt, Dorothy Hood. She also received a scholarship which provided one year of study each at Oxford and Cambridge.

In 1934, Dorothy Crowfoot returned to Oxford as a tutor and fellow. It was during this time that she produced the first  x-ray photograph of insulin. Her interest in insulin would continue for over three decades. The complexity of the task was a recognized achievement. However, she was still barred from attending research meetings of the faculty chemistry club with excluded women. Later, her many achievements and her compassionate approach to science and humanity would change the minds of her colleagues. She began collecting monies for x-ray equipment and received assistance from the Rockefeller and Nuffield Foundations.

In 1937, she received her doctorate from Cambridge University. That same year she married Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, a scholar and educator in African and Arab affairs. The couple had three children. Their home was open to many students, scientists, and friends from all over the world. Hodgkin was known for her

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