We have just published an article on Lydia Sesemann in ChemistryViews. She is the first known chemist in the world to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry. On May 15, 1874, Lydia Sesemann (1845-1925) received her doctorate from the University of Zurich in Switzerland for her work on benzylic and dibenzylacetic acids. As early as July 1873, she was the sole author of an article on her findings published in a prestigious scientific journal.
But, asks the author of the article, Giesela Boeck, who knows her name today?
Julia Lermontova (1846-1919) has long been considered the first woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry.
According to what is currently known about Lydia Sesemann’s life after her doctorate, the fact that she was a woman soon made a further scientific career impossible. She was also involved in a movement for women’s rights and women’s education. You can read her full story and the current state of research in the article: Lydia Sesemann: 150 Years of Women’s Doctorates in Chemistry
