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Gertrude Elion on Winning the Nobel Prize, 1999

Gertrude Elion discusses her surprise at winning the Nobel Prize in 1988.
Courtesy of Bella International Productions, Inc.
Date / time
1999
Transcript

"I was getting dressed to go to work and I got a phone call from a radio reporter, who informed me that I had just won the Nobel Prize. And I said, 'Oh, sure. Who put you up to this? This is the kind of practical joke I don't find amusing at 6:30 in the morning and you go back and tell that person, I am not amused.'"

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Gertrude Elion on Winning the Nobel Prize, 1999." (Viewed on June 15, 2026) <https://qa.jwa.org/media/gertrude-elion-discussing-her-surprise-at-hearing-she-had-won-nobel-prize>.