In March 1945, the crystallographer, Kathleen Lonsdale, became the first woman Fellow of the Royal Society, the UK’s most elite scientific institution. In the following nine years a further nine women also achieved this ultimate accolade. Their journey to election as FRSs involved foreign adventures, political persecution and the inevitable exhausting hours at the coalface of science. Several faced significant obstacles as they tried to establish themselves in professional careers. Their inspirational contributions opened doors for later generations of women to work in areas traditionally dominated by men.
Stella has a PhD, has worked in university libraries and science museums. She began her research career investigating the history of hospitals and, more recently, has published articles on the crystallographers, Kathleen Lonsdale and the Nobel Laureate, Dorothy Hodgkin.