Alice Hamilton, American Toxicologist

Alice Hamilton (1869-1970) was the first woman appointed to the faculty of Harvard University and was a leading expert in the field of occupational health. She was a pioneer in the field of toxicology, studying occupational illnesses and the dangerous effects of industrial metals and chemical compounds on the human body. Hamiltton received her doctor of medicine degree in 1893 and traveled to Europe to study bacteriology and pathology at universities in Munich and Leipzig from 1895 to 1897. After returning to America she became a member and resident of Hull House and became interested in the problems workers faced, especially occupational injuries and illnesses. In 1910, Hamilton was appointed to the newly formed Occupational Diseases Commission of Illinois, the first such investigative body in the United States. She focused her explorations on occupational toxic disorders and pioneered occupational epidemiology and industrial hygiene in the United States. From 1924 to 1930, she served as the only woman member of the League of Nations Health Committee. She was included in the list of Men in Science in 1944 and received the Lasker Award in 1947. She lived to be 101 and died of natural causes

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

1869 Bacteriologist Bacteriology Centenarian Commission Diseases Disorders Epidemiology Faculty Harvard Hull Hygiene Illnesses Injuries Occupational Pathologist Pathology Toxic Toxicologist Toxicology

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > PHR