Clara Benson, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Clara Benson

Date of Birth: 05-Jun-1875

Place of Birth: Port Hope, Ontario, Canada

Date of Death: 24-Mar-1964

Profession: chemist, biochemist

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Clara Cynthia Benson (1875–1964) was a Canadian chemist, the sole female founder of the American Society for Biological Chemistry (now the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)) and one of the first two women to earn a Ph.D.
from the University of Toronto (U of T) (the other being philosophy student Emma Baker).
She later became one of U of T's first two female associate professors.
Trained in physical chemistry, she switched focus to biochemistry when lack of job opportunities for female chemists led her to take a position teaching food chemistry as part of U of T's Domestic Science program.
She also played a large role in the development of U of T's women's athletics program.