Born: 1869 (Dublin, Ireland)
Died: 1938
Biography:
Edith Anne Stoney (6 January 1869 – 25 June 1938) was a physicist born in Dublin in an old-established Anglo-Irish scientific family. She is considered to be the first woman medical physicist.
Early life and family:
Edith Stoney was born at 40 Wellington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, the daughter of George Johnstone Stoney, FRS, an eminent physicist who coined the term electron in 1891 as the ‘fundamental unit quantity of electricity,’ and his wife and cousin, Margaret Sophia Stoney. One of her two brothers, George Gerald, was an engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). One of her two sisters, Florence Stoney, was a radiologist and received an OBE. Her cousin was the Dublin-based physicist George Francis FitzGerald FRS, and her uncle Bindon Blood Stoney FRS was Engineer of Dublin Port, renowned for building a number of the main Dublin bridges and developing the Quayside.
Education and Career:
Edith Stoney demonstrated considerable mathematical talent and gained a scholarship at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she achieved a First in the Part I Tripos examination in 1893. However, she was not awarded a University of Cambridge degree as women were excluded from graduation until 1948. During her time at Newnham, she was in charge of the College telescope.
She was later awarded a BA and an MA from Trinity College, Dublin, after they accepted women in 1904. After briefly working on gas turbine calculations and searchlight design for Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, she took a mathematics teaching post at the Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
London (Royal Free) School of Medicine for Women:
Following the 1876 Medical Act, which made it illegal for academic institutions to prevent access to medical education based on gender, the first medical school for women in Britain was established in 1874 by Dr. Sophia Jex-Blake in anticipation of this law. The London School of Medicine for Women quickly became part of the University of London, with clinical teaching at the Royal Free Hospital.
Edith’s sister Florence was a student at the school and graduated in medicine with honors in 1895 (MB BS) and obtained her MD in 1898. Meanwhile, Edith gained an appointment as a physics lecturer at the school in 1899. Her first tasks were to set up a physics laboratory and design the physics course. The laboratory was planned for 20 students, and the course content was pure physics, as required by university regulations. It included mechanics, magnetism, electricity, optics, sound, heat, and energy.
Influence and Legacy:
Edith Stoney’s contributions to medical physics and her pioneering role as the first woman medical physicist had a significant impact on the field. Her work in establishing the physics course and laboratory at the London School of Medicine for Women provided a solid foundation for the education of future female medical physicists. She inspired and mentored countless students, encouraging them to pursue careers in physics and medicine.
Edith Stoney’s dedication and passion for her work in the male-dominated field of physics paved the way for other women to enter the profession. Her achievements challenged traditional gender roles and opened doors for women in scientific and medical fields.