Anderson, Elda E. (1899–1961)

American health physicist and medical researcher. Name variations: Elda Emma Anderson. Born Oct 5, 1899, in Green Lake, Wisconsin; died April 1961, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Served as dean and teacher of physics and mathematics, and chemistry teacher, at Iowa's Estherville Junior College (1924–27); taught high-school science in Wisconsin; assisted in organization of physics department at Milwaukee-Downer College (1929), of which she served as professor and became chair (1934); took sabbatical from teaching to work at Princeton University's office of Scientific Research and Development (1941); joined scientists at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico (1943), working on Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb; performed work with spectroscopy and experimental measurements of neutron cross-sections which was integral to development of atomic bomb and design of nuclear power reactors; witnessed "Trinity event" (1945); left Los Alamos and resumed teaching (1947–49); concerned about dangers of radiation, dedicated rest of life to developing the then-new field of health physics so as to research, and examine preventative measures for, radiation exposure; became 1st chief of education and training at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and established American Board of Health Physics; developed leukemia (1956), possibly as result of her exposure to radiation, then breast cancer (1961); was fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science; published Manual of Radiological Protection for Civil Defense (1950). The Elda E. Anderson Award from the Health Physics Society was established in her memory.