Rosalind Franklin

"Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated."

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHER who took the photograph that led to the discovery of the structure of DNA
Earned her PhD in physical chemistry from Cambridge University in 1945, then accepted a fellowship at King's College to study DNA with Maurice Wilkins
Developed a new technique to get clear x-ray diffraction data
Took two different photographs of DNA, one that didn't imply a helix and one that did; she focused her research on the former image because it was clearer and more detailed
Wilkins, with whom Franklin did NOT get along, showed her notes and images to James Watson and Francis Crick, two researchers from another institution. Drawing directly from her work (but not citing it, of course), they published a paper stating that DNA was a double helix.
Franklin submitted her own article a day before Watson and Crick, and both papers were published in the same issue of Nature, but Franklin's was essentially brushed off as simply confirmation of theirs
She went on to work at Birkbeck College, where she led a research group and gained international praise -- even from Watson and Crick -- for identifying the structure of the tobacco mosaic virus
In 1962, Wilkins, Watson, and Crick received the Nobel Prize for their DNA research, but Franklin had died in 1958 (the Prize is not awarded posthumously). None of the men mentioned her or her contributions during the ceremony.

Bibliography: Creager, Angela N. "Franklin, Rosalind." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, Vol. 2, Oxford University Press, 2008, 336-337.
Harvey, Joy and Marilyn Ogilvie. "Franklin, Rosalind Elsie." The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science, Vol. 1. Routledge, 2000, 465-466.

Support these organizations dedicated to preserving this Awesome Woman's story and mission:

Rosalind Franklin Institute
Rosalind Franklin Society

Biographies for Kids and Young Adults

Research this Awesome Woman

Spread the Word About this Awesome Woman!

(DVD)

Please note that while Awesome Women Library tries to include links only to media from reputable sources, we cannot attest to the quality or content of any media listed on this website. Our mission is to introduce you to these Awesome Women and give you a wide array of resources for learning more. We haven't read everything listed and are not a recommendation site, nor is this meant to be an exhaustive catalog of every book related to this woman -- there's just too much out there! Happy reading!!