Elizabeth Hughes Gossett
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Hughes Gossett (August 19, 1907 - April 21, 1981) the daughter of U.S. Politician Charles Evans Hughes
, was one of the first patients treated with insulin
. She received over 42,000 insulin shots before she died in 1981.
in Albany, New York
, to Antoinette Carter and Charles Evans Hughes
, who was Governor of New York at the time of her birth.
Elizabeth developed diabetes
in 1919 at age 11. She was treated initially by Dr. Frederick M. Allen
at his special clinic, the Physiatric Institute in Morristown, New Jersey
. Dr. Allen put Elizabeth on a strict diet and continued to monitor her condition over the next three years while she lived at home with a private nurse. The diet was typically as low as 400 calories per day, and was restricted to a point below which sugar was detected in the urine. It caused a gradual weight loss from 75 pounds to a mere 45 pounds from 1919 to 1922 when insulin became available.
By the winter of 1921/22 her health was deteriorating seriously; she was 14 years old and weighed 52 pounds. In 1922 her mother contacted Canadian doctor Frederick Banting
in Toronto. Elizabeth came to Toronto
with her mother in August 1922 and began receiving insulin
from Dr. Banting.
Elizabeth's health continued to improve with insulin treatment. She returned to school in 1923 and graduated from Barnard College
in 1929.
, Rochester, a member of the Detroit Urban League, as well as a volunteer at the Merrill-Palmer Institute and at Michigan State University
. She was best known as the founder of the Supreme Court Historical Society
in 1972 and served as its president until 1979.
.
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
, was one of the first patients treated with insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
. She received over 42,000 insulin shots before she died in 1981.
Early life and education
Elizabeth Hughes was born August 19, 1907 in the New York State Executive MansionNew York State Executive Mansion
The New York State Executive Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of New York. Located at 138 Eagle Street in Albany, New York, it has housed 31 governors and their families. The Italianate building was constructed in 1856 as a banker's private home...
in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, to Antoinette Carter and Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
, who was Governor of New York at the time of her birth.
Elizabeth developed diabetes
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose...
in 1919 at age 11. She was treated initially by Dr. Frederick M. Allen
Frederick M. Allen
Frederick M. Allen ran the Physiatric Institute in Morristown, New Jersey and later one in Rye, New York that had an effective early treatment for diabetes. It involved calorie restriction. The process kept Elizabeth Hughes Gossett alive until insulin was available as a therapy....
at his special clinic, the Physiatric Institute in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. Dr. Allen put Elizabeth on a strict diet and continued to monitor her condition over the next three years while she lived at home with a private nurse. The diet was typically as low as 400 calories per day, and was restricted to a point below which sugar was detected in the urine. It caused a gradual weight loss from 75 pounds to a mere 45 pounds from 1919 to 1922 when insulin became available.
By the winter of 1921/22 her health was deteriorating seriously; she was 14 years old and weighed 52 pounds. In 1922 her mother contacted Canadian doctor Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the main discoverers of insulin....
in Toronto. Elizabeth came to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with her mother in August 1922 and began receiving insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
from Dr. Banting.
Elizabeth's health continued to improve with insulin treatment. She returned to school in 1923 and graduated from Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
in 1929.
Marriage and children
In 1930 she married William T. Gossett, a lawyer and former vice president and general counsel of the Ford Motor Company. They lived in Bloomfield, Michigan and had two daughters and a son.Career
Elizabeth Gossett was active in civic affairs in the Detroit area. She was a member of the board of trustees of Barnard College, one of the founding trustees of Oakland CollegeOakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
, Rochester, a member of the Detroit Urban League, as well as a volunteer at the Merrill-Palmer Institute and at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. She was best known as the founder of the Supreme Court Historical Society
Supreme Court Historical Society
The Supreme Court Historical Society is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and communicating the history of the U.S. Supreme Court.-History:...
in 1972 and served as its president until 1979.
Death and afterward
Elizabeth Gossett died of pneumonia on April 21, 1981 at the age of seventy-three. Few of her friends or associates knew of her diabetic condition, she systematically destroyed most of the material documenting her treatments, and had expunged all references to diabetes from her father's papers. At the time of her death, she had received 42,000 insulin injections over 58 years.Legacy
The Hughes Gossett Awards, presented by the Supreme Court Historical Society, are named in her honor. She was portrayed in the Canadian miniseries on the discovery of insulin, Glory Enough for AllGlory Enough for All
Glory Enough for All is the 1988 television movie depicting the discovery and isolation of insulin by Frederick Banting and Charles Herbert Best. It won the 1989 Gemini award for best miniseries....
.
External links
- Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto