Lucy Everest Boole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucy Everest Boole
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| Born | 5 August 1862 |
| Died | 5 December 1904 (aged 42) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry, pharmacy |
| Institutions | London School of Medicine for Women |
Lucy Everest Boole (born August 5, 1862 – died December 5, 1904) was an amazing Irish scientist. She was a chemist (someone who studies chemicals) and a pharmacist (someone who prepares medicines). Lucy was the first woman to do important research in pharmacy in England.
She also made history as the first female professor at the London School of Medicine for Women. This school was part of the Royal Free Hospital. Plus, she was the first woman to become a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. This means she was recognized as a top expert in chemistry.
Her Early Life and Family
Lucy Boole was born in 1862 in Cork, Ireland. Her father, George Boole, was a famous mathematician and logician. He taught at Queen's College. Her mother, Mary Everest Boole, was also very smart. She taught herself math and was interested in how people learn.
Lucy was one of five sisters, and many of them became famous too! Her sister Alicia Boole Stott was a mathematician. Her sister Ethel Lilian Voynich wrote novels.
Sadly, Lucy's father died in 1864. This left the family without much money. They moved back to England. Her mother became a librarian at Queen's College, London. Lucy also worked there as a librarian and helped look after students. She didn't go to university herself. Instead, she studied at the London School of Pharmacy from 1883 to 1888. She worked hard to become a pharmacist and passed her main exam in 1888.
Her Amazing Career in Science
After finishing her studies, Lucy became a research assistant. She worked with Wyndham Dunstan, a chemistry professor. In 1893, she started teaching chemistry at the London School of Medicine for Women.
In 1894, Lucy made history again. She was chosen as the first female Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry. People believe she was also the first female professor of Chemistry at Royal Free Hospital, London.
Lucy worked with Sir Wyndham Dunstan on many projects. They even wrote a paper together about a plant oil. This made her the first woman to co-author a research paper in pharmacy. In this paper, she suggested a new way to test a medicine called tartar emetic. Her new method was very accurate. Even though some people didn't agree with her at first, her method became the official way to test this medicine. It was used in the British Pharmacopoeia (a book of standards for medicines) for many years, from 1898 to 1963!
Later Years
Lucy Boole never got married. She lived with her mother in Notting Hill, London. Her mother was very proud of her. She once said that Lucy learned chemistry to work in a pharmacy. But she ended up becoming a top expert and a professor!
Lucy became ill in 1897. She passed away in 1904 when she was only 42 years old. We don't know much more about her life and work, but her achievements were truly groundbreaking for women in science.
See also
In Spanish: Lucy Everest Boole para niños
