Nora Lilian Alcock
Nora Lilian Lepard Alcock | |
|---|---|
 Alcock in Australia in 1938 | |
| Born | Nora Lilian Scott 18 August 1874 |
| Died | 31 March 1972 (aged 97) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | First government-appointed plant pathologist in Scotland Research on disease-resistant strawberries |
| Awards | MBE (1935) Fellow, Linnean Society of London (1923) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Plant pathology, mycology |
| Institutions | University of London Kew Gardens Department of Agriculture for Scotland |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | N.L.Alcock |
Nora Lilian Alcock, also known as Nora Lilian Lepart[1] and Nora Lilian Leopard,[2] (18 August 1874 – 31 March 1972) was a pioneer in the field of plant pathology and the first government-appointed plant pathologist in Scotland.
Life
Nora Lilian Scott was born in 1874, the daughter of Sir John Scott,[3] the Judicial Advisor to the Khedive of Egypt, and Edgeworth Leonora Hill. It appears she had no formal higher education. She married Nathaniel Henry Alcock, a radiologist, in 1905 and moved to Canada. When he died of cancer in 1913, she and her four children returned to Britain.[4]
Work
Upon her return to London, Alcock obtained a post at the Plant Pathology Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kew Gardens.[4] During her appointment, Alcock developed expertise in mycology under the directorships of Sir John Fryer, John Ramsbottom, and Professor Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan.[5] Alcock became a fellow of the Linnean Society in 1922, and in 1924, she moved to Edinburgh for the position of plant pathologist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.[4] Her post was based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and focused on using healthy seeds to increasing food production.[5] She retired in 1937.[5] The following year she visited Australia, where she spent six months studying local flora.[6]
Honours and recognition
As a result of her research on fungal diseases, in particular red core disease in strawberries, Alcock was awarded an MBE in 1935. Her work developed disease-resistant strains and catalogued seed-borne diseases.[4]
In 1924 Alcock became the first person to hold the new post of Plant Pathologist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.[4]
Her biography was written by Charles Edward Foister.[4]
A memorial plaque dedicated to Alcock can be found at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh.[7]
Other accomplishments
During the Second World War, she taught botany to prisoners of war. She was a member of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs and the Edinburgh Soroptimists.[5]
References
- ^ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/14634/page/331/data.pdf
- ^ https://plants.jstor.org/stable/history/10.5555/al.ap.person.bm000341478
- ^ Brown, Frank Herbert (1912). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 280.
- ^ a b c d e f Haines, Catherine M. C. (2001). "Alcock, Nora Lillian née Scott". International Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary to 1950. Santa Barbara, Calif. [u.a.]: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-090-1.
- ^ a b c d Walker, Agnes (4 March 2012). "Nora Lilian Alcock". Mapping Memorials to Women in Scotland. Women's History Scotland. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "ENGLISH BOTANIST". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 31, 469. New South Wales, Australia. 10 November 1938. p. 31. Retrieved 27 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Memorial plaque to Nora Lilian Alcock | Mapping Memorials to Women in Scotland". womenofscotland.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ International Plant Names Index. N.L.Alcock.
External links
- Women of Scotland Mapping Memorials to Women in Scotland – Nora Lilian Alcock
- Whois.com Nora Lilian Alcock Biography
- International Women in Science - A Biographical History to 1950 - Entry for Nora Lilian Alcock
