Elda Emma Anderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elda Emma Anderson
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Elda Emma Anderson, physicist and health researcher
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| Born | October 5, 1899 |
| Died | April 17, 1961 (aged 61) Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Ripon College University of Wisconsin |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physicist |
| Institutions | Estherville Junior College Milwaukee-Downer College Los Alamos Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
| Thesis | Low energy levels in the atomic spectra Co VII and Ni VIII (1941) |
Elda Emma Anderson (born October 5, 1899 – died April 17, 1961) was an amazing American physicist and health expert. During World War II, she played a key role in the top-secret Manhattan Project. This project was all about creating the first atomic bombs.
At the Los Alamos Laboratory, she prepared the very first sample of pure uranium-235. This was a big deal for the project. After the war, she became very interested in how radiation affects health. She helped create a new field called health physics. She also started an important group called the American Board of Health Physics. This group helps make sure health physicists are properly trained and certified.
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Early Life and School Days
Elda Emma Anderson was born in Green Lake, Wisconsin, on October 5, 1899. Her dad, Edwin, was from Wisconsin, and her mom, Lena, was from Germany. Elda was one of three children.
When she was very young, Elda loved numbers. She even thought about becoming a kindergarten teacher! But later, she became interested in science. Her older sister, who helped teach chemistry, helped her discover this passion. Elda's family always supported her in her studies.
Elda went to Ripon College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1922. Then, she got her Master of Arts degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin in 1924.
From 1924 to 1927, she taught at Estherville Junior College in Iowa. She was in charge of the physics, chemistry, and math departments there. In 1928, she taught at Menasha High School. In 1929, she became a physics professor at Milwaukee-Downer College. By 1934, she was the head of the physics department at this college.
Her Work and Discoveries
In 1941, Elda finished her PhD at the University of Wisconsin. Her special research was about "Low energy levels in the atomic spectra Co VII and Ni VIII."
Right after her PhD, Elda took time off from teaching. She joined the Manhattan Project to help with war research. She first worked at Princeton University. Soon after, she moved to Los Alamos Laboratory. This was a secret lab where scientists worked on atomic weapons.
At Los Alamos, Elda studied how atoms split apart. She looked at how long it took for neutrons to be absorbed and released. This work often meant working more than sixteen hours a day! One of her biggest achievements was preparing the first sample of pure uranium-235 at the lab. This was a very important material for the project. She lived in a dormitory and, being older than most, was put in charge. She often worked at night, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. This was not common for women at that time!
After the war, in 1947, Elda returned to teaching at Milwaukee-Downer College. But her work with atomic physics made her very interested in how radiation affects people's health. In 1949, she decided to leave teaching. She started a new career in health physics.
She joined the Health Physics Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. She became the first chief of education and training there. She spent her career setting up new training programs for health physics. She also taught and advised students who were studying health physics.
Elda also worked with professors at Vanderbilt University. Together, they created a master's degree program in health physics. She trained many military staff, government workers, and university professors. Many of these people became leaders in the field of health physics.
Elda was also known for helping her students. She helped them with school problems and even personal issues. Sometimes, she would even lend money to students or offer a friendly chat during tough times.
Elda organized the first international course in health physics in Stockholm in 1955. She also set up similar courses in Belgium in 1957 and Mumbai in 1958. She helped start the Health Physics Society in 1955. She served as its secretary and later as its president from 1959 to 1960. In 1960, she created the American Board of Health Physics. This group gives special certification to health physics professionals.
Even though she got sick with leukemia in 1956, Elda kept working hard. She stayed in her job for several more years until she passed away.
Her Passing and Lasting Impact
Elda Emma Anderson never married and did not have children. In 1956, she developed leukemia. She passed away almost five years later, on April 17, 1961, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She died from breast cancer and leukemia. It's thought that her work with radioactive materials might have caused her illness.
Elda was buried at Green Lake Cemetery in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Her death was reported in many newspapers and science magazines. Her friends and former students wrote touching tributes about her.
Today, Elda Emma Anderson is remembered every year at the Health Physics Society's meeting. They give the Elda E. Anderson Award to a young member of the Society. This award honors her important contributions to science and health.
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Elda Emma Anderson, physicist and health researcher
