Icie Hoobler facts for kids

Icie Gertrude Macy Hoobler (born July 23, 1892 – died January 6, 1984) was an amazing American scientist. She was a biochemist who studied how food and nutrients affect people, especially moms and kids. Even though she faced challenges because she was a woman, she became a leader in science. She was the first woman to lead a local group of the American Chemical Society. Her work earned her and her team 22 awards!

Early Life and Education

Icie grew up on a farm in Gallatin, Missouri. She loved science from a young age. She watched animals grow and explored her family's land. This made her curious about how living things work.

A trip during her childhood changed her path. She saw sick children living in poor conditions in the mountains of Arkansas. This made her feel very sad and want to help. She decided she wanted to improve children's health.

Starting Her Science Journey

Icie first spent three years at Central Female College in Lexington, Missouri. Her parents wanted her to go there, even though she wanted to study science. At Central College, she met Lily Egbert, a biology teacher. Lily became her first mentor and encouraged Icie to follow her passion for science.

With new excitement, Icie decided to study chemistry at the University of Chicago. She also studied physics. Her advisor at the University of Chicago sent her to the University of Colorado at Boulder to teach inorganic chemistry.

Advanced Studies

Icie earned her master's degree from the University of Colorado in 1918. For her first master's project, she created a better test for cyanide in autopsies. This led to her first published scientific paper. Her second project was about getting tungstic acid from tungsten ores. She also helped teach a physiological chemistry class at the medical school.

Right after her master's, she started her Ph.D. at Yale University. She studied physiological chemistry there. At that time, Yale accepted only a few female graduate students. It was hard for these women to find places to live near campus. Landlords often didn't want to rent to women.

Icie joined the Graduate Women's Club. She worked to make living arrangements better for female students. Because of their efforts, Yale eventually provided on-campus housing for women.

During a lecture at Yale, a professor talked about the dairy and milk industry. He encouraged the women to research human nutrition. Icie was inspired. From then on, the health of mothers, babies, and children became her main focus.

Career in Biochemistry

After getting her Ph.D. from Yale, Icie started working at Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh. She faced a lot of unfair treatment because she was a woman. The hospital only had restrooms for men. Icie had to use a public restroom a block away. Because of this, she limited her bathroom breaks. After a few months, she developed a kidney problem called acute nephritis.

She was told to take a year off because of her illness. Icie also wasn't allowed to eat in the doctors' dining hall, as all the other doctors were men. She couldn't eat in the nurses' dining hall either, due to rules. So, she ate with other hospital employees. When she complained, she was told she would "get used to it." After two weeks, things didn't improve, so Icie quit.

The next day, the hospital's president asked her why she left. He also asked why she didn't attend the annual staff dinner. Her boss hadn't invited her, thinking she wouldn't want to be with "all those men." The president was upset with her boss. After that, Icie's treatment at the hospital improved.

Overcoming Challenges

Icie faced other unfair situations during her career. Once, the Chicago Club invited her to speak. They didn't realize "Icie" was a woman's name. When she arrived, she wasn't allowed in. Her husband had to talk to the manager. The club's board had to vote again to let her speak.

In 1923, during her year off for her health, Icie began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley. She taught food chemistry and other subjects. While teaching, she was offered a new job. She became the Director of the Nutrition Research Project at the Merril-Palmer School. This project aimed to improve knowledge about mothers' health.

Icie led this laboratory for 31 years. Then, she worked as a research consultant until 1974. Under her leadership, the lab published 300 scientific articles and several books. Their research covered topics like how women's bodies change during pregnancy and the chemistry of red blood cells.

Awards and Recognition

In 1931, Icie Hoobler made history. She was chosen as the first woman to lead a local section of the American Chemical Society.

Throughout her career, she received 22 awards and honors for her research. Some of these included:

• The Norlin Award from the University of Colorado Boulder.
• The Garvan–Olin Medal from the American Chemical Society.
• The Borden Award from the American Home Economics Association.
• The Osborne Award.
• The Mendel Award from the American Institute of Nutrition.

Personal Life

At age 46, Icie married Dr. Raymond Hoobler. Sadly, he passed away in 1943, after five years of marriage. In 1982, Icie returned to her hometown in Missouri. She died two years later, in 1984.

See also

In Spanish: Icie Hoobler para niños