Some of the people and events that helped shape my long career in chemistry will be remembered.  The status of women has changed dramatically over these years as have chemistry and my specialties of radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry.  When I entered Iowa State College in September 1944 as an Applied Art major, freshman chemistry was a required subject.  It was my very first course in chemistry and was taught by a woman chemistry professor who emphasized chemistry as a fundamental science with many opportunities in both fundamental and applied research.  She told of Marie Curie's discovery of radium and also described practical applications in everyday life.  Because of her inspiring lectures, I quickly decided to change my major to chemistry! Subsequent undergraduate research in nuclear chemistry exposed me to the thrill of discovering new isotopes, and I went on to earn my B.S. (1944) and Ph.D. (1951) in Chemistry (nuclear) and married fellow graduate student Marvin Hoffman.  I learned that �you can't do it all by yourself�!  I had outstanding help at home and a husband who understood that I must continue my career even after we had two children. The opportunity to travel, attend international conferences, pursue sabbaticals abroad with our entire family, and accept lectureships in many different countries ranging from North and South America, to China, Japan and Europe served to broaden my horizons and understand the potential 'uniting power' of science in the solution of world problems.

Retrospective view of my 70 years in chemistry

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.