Marguerite Davis
Biochemistry Research – Vitamins
9/16/1887 – 9/19/1967
Key Achievement
Elmer McCollum and Marguerite Davis were responsible for the discovering nutritional components of milk, which were eventually resolved into vitamins A, B, E, D, and K. Using experimental feeding experiments developed by UW-Madison scientists, Babcock, Hart, McCollum, and Steenbock, feeding cattle and rats, McCollum and Davis found that there were components in milk that were an extremely potent remedy for an insufficient diet. They described two fractions, fat soluble A, which was eventually resolved into vitamins A, E, D, and K, and water-soluble B, eventually shown to consist of vitamins B1, B3, B6, and B12.
Connection to Wisconsin
Marguerite Davis was born in Racine, Wisconsin. She entered the UW – Madison in 1906, then transferred to the University of California at Berkeley in 1908 and received her Bachelor of Science degree there in 1910. After working towards her Master’s degree at UW and working briefly at Squibb Pharmaceutical Company, she began her research career at UW. She founded the UW nutrition research laboratory and a similar laboratory at the Rutgers school of pharmacy. She retired in Racine in 1940 and died there in1967.
For additional information, visit:
UW-Madison Alumni Magazine Article
UW-Madison Life Science Magazine Article
For additional information, visit:
UW-Madison Alumni Magazine Article
UW-Madison Life Science Magazine Article