Ellen Gleditsch: Pioneer Woman in Radiochemistry

We present the life and work of the Norwegian scientist Ellen Gleditsch (1879-1968) in the earlyera of radioactivity. From 1907-1912, Gleditsch worked as Marie Curies assistant in the LaboratoireCurie in Paris on the alleged copper-lithium radioactive transformation and on the radiumuraniumratio, as well as studying chemistry and related subjects at the Sorbonne. Later,in 1913-1914,she worked in Bertram Boltwoods laboratory at Yale University on the half-life of radium. Gleditschalso was concerned with academic opportunities for women, and she became the presidentof the International Federation of University Women. As a professor, the second female professorin Norway, she initiated a research group on radioactivity at the University of Oslo.