Marguerite Davis
Co-discoverer of vitamins A and B in 1913.
via Wikipedia: Davis, California · see source
Their research, which identified fat-soluble and water-soluble substances essential to life, greatly influenced later research on nutrition.
- born
- September 16, 1887, Racine, Wisconsin
- died
- September 19, 1967, Racine, Wisconsin
- field
- Biochemistry
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Co-discoverer of vitamins A and B with Elmer Verner McCollum
Lore & Background
Davis enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in 1906, then transferred to the University of California at Berkeley, receiving a bachelor of science degree in home economics in 1910. She returned to the University of Wisconsin for graduate work but did not complete a master's degree. There she began work as a research assistant with McCollum, caring for a large rat colony and helping expand it. Together they carried out many experiments attempting to create mixtures that could replace food in animal diets, studying trace chemicals in foods essential to life, which they called 'vitamines.'
In 1913, Davis and McCollum identified 'fat-soluble A' in fats and distinguished it from 'water-soluble B,' later renamed vitamins A and B. Their discovery was first published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 1913. She retired in 1940, returning to Racine to live with her brother, and pursued history and gardening. Davis died in Racine on September 19, 1967.
Reader's Guide
Their work, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, distinguished fat-soluble from water-soluble vitamins, directly influencing subsequent research on dietary deficiencies and the role of vitamins in health. Davis's civic leadership was recognized in 1958, and her work remains a cornerstone of vitamin research.
Did You Know?
- Davis was physically handicapped by severe burns received at age ten when her clothing caught fire while playing at a bonfire.
- Davis's co-discovery of vitamins A and B was first published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 1913.
- After retiring in 1940, she returned to Racine, Wisconsin, and was recognized as a civic leader by the Women's Civic Council in 1958.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Marguerite Davis?
Marguerite Davis (1887–1967) was an American biochemist born and buried in Racine, Wisconsin. She is best remembered for her landmark 1913 work identifying two essential nutrient classes that later became known as vitamins A and B.
What did Marguerite Davis discover?
In 1913 she pinpointed a fat-soluble and a water-soluble substance in food that organisms cannot synthesize on their own, effectively isolating what we now call vitamins A and B. Her findings laid the groundwork for modern understanding of dietary requirements.
Who did Marguerite Davis work with on the vitamin discovery?
She carried out the research alongside Elmer Verner McCollum, and the two are credited together as co-discoverers of vitamins A and B.
What field of science did Marguerite Davis specialize in?
Her work fell squarely within biochemistry, where she investigated the chemical components of food that sustain life.
Why is Marguerite Davis important to the history of nutrition?
By demonstrating that specific, non-protein, non-carbohydrate, non-fat substances were indispensable for survival, she opened an entirely new line of inquiry into dietary chemistry. Nearly a century of subsequent vitamin research traces its origins back to her 1913 experiments.
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