Mildred Cohn overcame both gender and religious prejudice to have a profound impact on biochemistry and biophysics. Her research contributed to the scientific understanding of the mechanisms of enzymatic reactions and the methods of studying them. Cohn authored numerous papers that are considered classics and received many honors, including the 1982 National Medal of Science presented by President Ronald Reagan. She was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

Cohn was born on July 12, 1913, to Isidore M. and Bertha (Klein) Cohn, the second of their two children. Her parents were both immigrants from Sharshiv, a small town in Russia. Her father was a businessman who did linotype work for the printing trade and published a journal on printing. Cohn attended public schools in New York City, demonstrating an interest in mathematics and chemistry by the time...