She
was a pioneer in toxicology, studying the effects of industrial
metals and chemicals on workers' health.
She
was a leading expert in occupational health—studying safety and
health issues at workplaces.
And
she lived to be 101 years old!
Alice
Hamilton was born on this date in 1869. She was home schooled until
she attended a college prep school and several universities. She
became a resident of Hull House, which was founded by social reformer
and Progressive Era star Jane Addams, and the two became lifelong
friends. It was at Hull House that Hamilton first became interested
in health hazards in the workplace.
This EH.Net article
about workplace safety discusses roughly the same period as Hamilton's
life—and it was a time of increasing interest and progress in
workplace safety. It's cool that Hamilton got to live long enough to
see a lot of changes for the better in her field...and to get medals
and recognition for her major contributions, too.
Thank
goodness for people like Alice Hamilton!
Also
on this date:
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