Evelyn Hodes Wilson

Evelyn Ash Hodes Wilson (October 8, 1921 – March 16, 2001) was an American biochemist, college professor, and university administrator.

Early life and education Evelyn Ash Hodes was born in Philadelphia, the youngest child and only daughter of Morris Hodes and Anna Jacobsen Hodes. Her family was Jewish. One of her five brothers was pediatrician and medical researcher Horace Hodes. Another brother, Robert Hodes, was a neurophysiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital.

She graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1938. In 1942, she earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Bryn Mawr College. Wilson was married when she completed her PhD in biology at Radcliffe College, with a dissertation on antimalarials. Her dissertation won the Caroline Wilby Prize for 1946.

Career Wilson was a researcher at Merck after completing doctoral studies, and did research there towards the development of prednisone. At Merck she co-authored articles with Max Tishler, Louis Fieser, Huang Minlon, and others.

Wilson taught science in the local high schools in Highland Park and Westfield, and in 1960 earned a teaching certificate at Rutgers University. she was an associate professor of education, and taught and studied science pedagogy.

Wilson was active in the League of Women Voters of Highland Park. In 1987, she was named chair of the education task force for New Brunswick Tomorrow. She was associate vice-president for budget and planning at Rutgers when she retired in 1991. "The Conversion of Cholic Acid into 3α-Hydroxy-12-keto-Δ9(11)-cholenic Acid" (1951, with Louis F. Fieser, Srinivasa Rajagopalan, and Max Tishler) "Steroid 17(α)-Acetates" (1952, with Huang Minlon, N. L. Wendler, and Max Tishler) "Synthesis of Δ1-Allopregnene-17α,21-diol-3,11,20-trione-21-acetate" (1952, with Max Tishler) "Pantothenic Acid Salts" (1954, with John Weijlard and Max Tishler)

Science education

"Why Not Science?" (1969)