Dorothy Virginia Nightingale

Dorothy Virginia Nightingale (February 21, 1902 - June 12, 2000) was an American organic chemist who is known for research on chemiluminescence and the Friedel-Crafts reaction. Nightingale directed the research of 24 PhD students and 26 Masters students and authored 56 scientific publications.

Dorothy Virginia Nightingale
Born(1902-02-21)February 21, 1902
DiedJune 12, 2000(2000-06-12) (aged 98)
NationalityAmerican
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry

Personal life

Nightingale was born and raised in Colorado, until, at age seventeen, the family moved to Columbia, Missouri. Nightingale's mother, Jennie Beem, was a teacher and secretary prior to marrying the rancher William David Nightingale. Nightingale returned to Boulder, Colorado after retirement in 1972.

Education

Nightingale's mother awakened her daughter's interest in chemistry upon demonstrating a number of chemistry experiments at Colorado State University.[1] Nightingale pursued a chemistry degree at the University of Missouri and studied with chemist Herman Schlundt. Nightingale also obtained a master's degree there, but went to the University of Chicago for a PhD in chemistry, awarded in 1928.

Career

Nightingale joined the staff at the University of Missouri as an instructor in 1923 (one of only two female chemistry instructors) and returned there after earning a PhD. Nightingale published 56 papers while directing the research of 24 PhD students and 26 Masters students. Nightingale's research focused on chemiluminescence, the mechanism of the Friedel-Crafts reaction, the reactions of nitroparaffins with alicyclic ketones, and the reactions of azadispiroketones. This work had a significant impact on the development of production methods for various chemicals that involve dangerous reactions such as high-octane gasoline, synthetic rubbers and plastics, and detergents.

Nightingale spent a sabbatical leave during 1938 at the University of Minnesota, adapting their course content and advanced research equipment in an effort to improve Missouri's organic chemistry program.

During World War II, Nightingale and colleagues H.E. French and H. E. Ungnade served as investigators for the United States’ Committee on Medical Research in the Office of Scientific Research and Development in a search for new antimalarials. The group prepared a number of alpha-(dialkylaminoalkyl) acenaphthenemethanols and analogous isoquinolines, but none were more effective than those already in use.

In 1959, Nightingale was awarded the Garvan Medal, given by the American Chemical Society, for distinguished service to chemistry.[2]

In 1975, Nightingale published the book A History of the Department of Chemistry: University of Missouri-Columbia, 1843-1975.[3][4]

References
  1. Oakes, Elizabeth (2002). International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc. pp. 265–266. ISBN 0-8160-4381-7.
  2. Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie; Joy Dorothy Harvey (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z. Taylor & Francis. p. 944. ISBN 9780415920384. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. Wayne, Tiffany (2011). American Women of Science Since 1900, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 719. ISBN 978-1-59884-158-9. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  4. Virginia, Nightingale, Dorothy (1975). "A history of the Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1843-1975". hdl:10355/54601. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)


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