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Gertrude Elion Discusses her Eagerness to Attend School

In this 1999 interview, Chemist Gertrude Elion (1918 – 1999) discusses her eagerness to attend school as a young child.

Date / time
1999
Transcript

"I couldn't wait to go to school. I used to drive my parents crazy, because they said I couldn't go to school yet. But I already knew how to read, so why was I going to not go to school?"

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Gertrude Elion Discusses her Eagerness to Attend School." (Viewed on June 15, 2026) <https://qa.jwa.org/media/gertrude-elion-discussing-her-eagerness-to-attend-school-as-young-child>.