Helen Murray Free
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
Helen Free begins the interview with a discussion of her family and childhood growing up in Ohio. Free attended Poland Seminary High School in Ohio. She was greatly influenced by her English teacher at Poland and she thereon intended to become an English and Latin teacher. In September 1941, Free entered the College of Wooster. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of the same year, many young men either joined or were drafted into the armed forces, which forced them to leave academics behind. Because of this, Free's housemother encouraged female students to pursue careers in science. Without reservation, Free switched her major to Chemistry in which she received her BS in 1944. After graduation, Free immediately began working as a control chemist with Miles Laboratories. In 1946, she moved into the new biochemistry department at Miles, where she worked for her future husband, Alfred Free. She first researched assays of antibiotics before moving to dry reagent test systems. Working with tablets, Free helped develop tests to detect abnormal levels of bilirubin, glucose, ketone, and protein in urine. Later, Free worked with her husband to move the tests from tablets to strips, introducing Clinistix in 1956. Several other testing strips were developed and added to the market, including Uristix, Ketostix, Dextrostox, Labstix, and a still-current product, Multistix. When Bayer Corporation acquired Miles Laboratories, Free stayed with the company, moving into the Growth and Development Department, then becoming Director of Specialty Test Systems. Free formally retired in 1982, but continues to work as a consultant for Bayer Corporation's Diagnostics Division. Free served as the president of the American Chemical Society in 1993 and continues to be involved with the organization. Free is also affiliated with the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc. and remains involved in several chemistry awareness programs, including the International Chemistry Celebration, National Chemistry Week, National Science and Technology Week, the National Chemical Historical Landmark Program, and Medical Laboratory Week. Free concludes the interview with a discussion of her children and thoughts on the National Registry in Clinical Chemistry.
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | College of Wooster | BS | Chemistry |
| 1978 | Central Michigan University | MA | Management |
Professional Experience
Miles Laboratories, Inc
Indiana University South Bend
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1967 | Honor Scroll Award, Chicago Chapter, American Institute of Chemists |
| 1976 | Professional Achievement Award, American Society for Medical Technology |
| 1977 | Ames Company Honoree, YWCA Honors Luncheon #1 |
| 1978 | Bellringer's Award, Elkhart United Fund |
| 1978 | Honorary Member, Iota Sigma Pi |
| 1980 | Distinguished Alumni Award, The College of Wooster |
| 1980 | Garvan Medal for Distinguished Service to Chemistry, American Chemical Society |
| 1981 | Silver Bowl Award, Elkhart YWCA Honors for Professions |
| 1981 | Service Award, St. Joseph Valley Section, American Chemical Society |
| 1983 | Mosher Award, Santa Clara Valley Section, American Chemical Society |
| 1986 | Al Dietz Service Award, Chicago Section, American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc. |
| 1986 | Medical Economics Forty-Year Award |
| 1991 | Diploma of Honor, Association of Clinical Scientists |
| 1992 | Woman of the Year, Business and Profession Division, St. Joseph County YWCA |
| 1992 | Sigma Delta Epsilon, Honorary Member |
| 1992 | Hall of Excellence Award, Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges |
| 1992 | Honorary Doctorate of Science, The College of Wooster |
| 1993 | Honorary Doctorate of Science, Central Michigan University |
| 1994 | Laboratory Public Service National Leadership Award, Washington G-2 Reports |
| 1995 | Helen M. Free Award in Public Outreach, American Chemical Society |
| 1995 | Alumna of the Year Award, Poland, OH Schools |
| 1996 | Engineering and Science Hall of Fame Induction |
| 1996 | Kirby Foundation Award |
Table of Contents
Parents. Attending school in Youngstown and Poland, Ohio. Influence of English teacher. Attending the College of Wooster. Decision to switch major to chemistry. Chemistry department at Wooster.
Accepting position with Miles Laboratories. Working in Control Lab. Interviewing with Alfred Free. Biochemical research. Assaying antibiotics. Developing dry reagent test systems. Clinitest, Acetest, Ictotest. Movement from tablet tests to strip tests.
Clinistix. Emphasis on diagnostics. Competition. Quality control. User resistance to strip tests. Marketing. Albustix, Ketostix, Uristix, Diastix, Dextrotest, Dextrostix, Combistix. Sue Ellen Cross. Phenistix. Choosing color charts. Labstix. Transfer to development lab.
Bayer's acquisition of Miles Laboratories. German language lessons. Receiving management degree from Central Michigan University. Moving into Miles Growth and Development Department. Reflectance meters. Research Products Division. Acquisition of Pentex. Role as a woman in science.
Role in American Chemical Society (ACS). Becoming President of ACS. Dissemination of chemistry to public. International Chemistry Celebration. National Chemistry Week. National Chemical Historic Landmark Program. World of Color. American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc. Medical Laboratory Week.
Family and children. Work with the National Registry in Clinical Chemistry. Interviewing chemists.
About the Interviewer
James J. Bohning was professor emeritus of chemistry at Wilkes University, where he had been a faculty member from 1959 to 1990. He served there as chemistry department chair from 1970 to 1986 and environmental science department chair from 1987 to 1990. Bohning was chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1986; he received the division’s Outstanding Paper Award in 1989 and presented more than forty papers at national meetings of the society. Bohning was on the advisory committee of the society’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program from its inception in 1992 through 2001 and is currently a consultant to the committee. He developed the oral history program of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and he was CHF’s director of oral history from 1990 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Bohning was a science writer for the News Service group of the American Chemical Society. In May 2005, he received the Joseph Priestley Service Award from the Susquehanna Valley Section of the American Chemical Society. Bohning passed away in September 2011.