Gladys Anslow

Gladys Amelia Anslow (May 22, 1892 – March 31, 1969) was an American physicist who taught for over forty years at Smith College. She was the first woman to work with the cyclotron at the University of California, Berkeley and served in the Office of Scientific Research and Development during World War II.

Early life and education Anslow was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to John Anslow and Ella Iola Leonard. In her second year, Anslow elected a focus on physics under Frank Allan Waterman. Following her graduation with an A.B. in 1914, Following her graduation, she was appointed instructor in physics at Smith College to replace Howell.

Career Anslow obtained a Ph.D. in physics from Yale University in 1924

From July 1944 to December 1945, during World War II, Anslow was named head of the communications and information section of the Office of Field Services in the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), formerly the National Defense Research Committee (NRDC), which controlled the flow of classified information to the research community. It was unusual at the time for a woman to work at the OSRD, let alone in an influential administrative position. However, Anslow was not unique. Also working for the OSRD/NRDC at the time were Dorothy Walcott Weeks in the liaison office and Margaret Moses and Louise Kelley in the office of the Chairman.

Anslow was a member of the American Physical Society, where she was the president of the New England Section. She also served on the executive board of the American Association of Physics Teachers, as vice president of the Massachusetts division of the American Association of University Women and was the president of the Massachusetts division of Phi Beta Kappa.

Research The first woman to work with the cyclotron ("atomic whirligig to smash the atom") at the University of California, Berkeley, she collaborated with fellow Smith physicist Dorothy Wrinch on a "spectrochemical study of protein molecules for the eventual production of synthetic foods and drugs" under a grant from the Office of Naval Research, the first research grant of its kind at Smith College. and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1955.

Sigma Delta Epsilon, a fraternal organization for women in science, named Anslow the year's "Woman in Science" by in 1950.

She received an honorary Sc. D. from Smith College and in 1967 was also awarded a Sophia Smith Fellowship from the college.

Selected Publications