Mary C. Pangborn

Mary C. Pangborn (August 13, 1907 – February 20, 2003) was an American scientist and writer of science fiction.

Mary C. Pangborn
In the Springfield Daily Republican, March 21, 1927
Born	(1907-08-13)August 13, 1907 Brooklyn, New York, US
Died	February 20, 2003(2003-02-20) (aged 95)
Education	Smith College, Yale University
Occupation(s)	Scientist, writer
Relatives	Edgar Pangborn (brother)

Youth

Born in Brooklyn, Pangborn attended the Friends School. Science fiction author Edgar Pangborn was her younger brother.

She graduated from high school at age 14, and entered Smith College a year later.

Scientific work

At Smith, Pangborn received the Frances A. Hause prize for excellence in chemistry and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.^[1] She graduated with a PhD from Yale in 1931.^[2][3] In 1942, she discovered the biologically important lipid cardiolipin.^[4]

Fiction

Pangborn published at least one poem^[5] and, later in life, a number of pieces of short fiction in noted anthologies and in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Her only novel, Friar Bacon's Head, remained unpublished as of her death.^[6]