Edith Farnsworth

Edith Brooks Farnsworth (November 17, 1903 – December 4, 1977) was an American nephrologist known for her research on kidney disease and for her involvement in the design of the Farnsworth House, which she commissioned from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Early life Edith Farnsworth was born on November 17, 1903, in Chicago, Illinois, to George James Farnsworth, a successful lumber manufacturer, and Mary Alice Brooks Farnsworth. Raised in a culturally rich and financially comfortable household, she cultivated early interests in music, language, and science.

Career Earning her medical degree in 1938 and later obtaining a Master of Science degree in 1941, she focused on endocrine relations in pregnancy toxemias. Specializing in nephrology, she became an associate professor of medicine at Passavant Hospital, where she eventually had her own lab to conduct groundbreaking research on kidney diseases and see patients. In 1946, she published on renal reabsorption of chloride and phosphate, and in 1948, she gained national recognition for being the first to use adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to treat nephritis and nephrosis. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, she published extensively on kidney disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and edema treatment. She bought a plot of land on the Fox River in Plano, Illinois from Colonel McCormick, seeking to create a serene weekend retreat, and commissioned the renowned architect Mies van der Rohe to design a modernist countryside residence on the site. The resulting structure, with its striking all-glass exterior, was designed to maximize the natural beauty of its surroundings. As a weekend home, the layout intentionally omitted extensive storage, as it was not intended for permanent living. and the house became an expression of his architectural ideas rather than a space designed for living. When Farnsworth eventually voiced concerns, van der Rohe reportedly said “stick to your nephritis.”

Final costs ran nearly twice the original estimate of $40,000, costing $74,000. After nearly five years in court, the matter was settled out of court with Farnsworth paying a smaller sum. Because of press attention, both Farnsworth and van der Rohe were treated with “incredulity and derision” for the costly building project and “crowds of people came on weekends to look at the house," taking away its purpose as a solitary retreat.

Personal life Farnsworth was fluent in Italian and French, and she knew some German. In the years of her retirement (1967–1977), she moved to the small town of Bagno a Ripolie, in Italy and became well known for translating Italian poetry into English, including the works of Eugenio Montale, Albino Pierro, and Salvatore Quasimodo.