Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Science: The First Eleven Women to Become Fellows of the Royal Society 1945-54 - Hardcover

Butler, Stella

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1803999594 ISBN 13: 9781803999593

Publisher: The History Press, 2026

Synopsis

In 1945 women joined the ranks of the Royal Society, the UK’s premier scientific academy, for the first time. Over the next decade, 11 women became FRSs. Few of these women are well known, yet they all made extraordinary contributions to the sciences and medical treatments, helping shape the postwar world. Dame Honor Fell led the laboratory that developed the techniques that led to IVF; Dorothy Hodgkin worked out the structure of penicillin; Muriel Robertson helped reduce the impact of sleeping sickness; Agnes Arbor and Sidnie Manton were recognised naturalists. All battled prejudice and hardship, their journeys involving travel, political persecution and exhausting hours in areas traditionally dominated by men. Their achievements made cracks in the glass ceiling, making it easier for later generations of young women to enjoy careers in science. This book pays tribute to their achievements, and considers why many have slipped from our memories.

About this title

About the Author

STELLA BUTLER has worked as a teacher, museum curator, and librarian. She has a degree in Biology (with Chemistry), and a PhD in the history of science. She is an Honorary Research Fellow in the history of science at University College, London. She has published on the history of physiology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and worked as a museum curator on the history of the physical sciences earlier in her career.

Edition details

• Publisher: The History Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1803999594
• ISBN 13: 9781803999593
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240