Gertrude Elion discusses the effect of her grandfather's death on her decision to become a chemist.
Courtesy of Bella International Productions, Inc.
Date / time
1999
Transcript
"And I actually watched him die in the hospital, going through a lot of pain, and thinking that certainly there must be a way to cure this disease. But I didn't see how a doctor could cure cancer unless he had some medicine to do it with. So, how would you make a medicine? Well, you had to be a chemist. And I suddenly thought, why not? Why can't I do it? Just as simple as that: why not?"
Jewish Women's Archive. "Gertrude Elion on Becoming a Chemist." (Viewed on December 25, 2024) <https://jwa.org/media/gertrude-elion-discussing-effect-of-her-grandfathers-death-on-her-decision-to-become-chemist>.