Ida Pauline Rolf
Encyclopedia
Ida Pauline Rolf was a biochemist and the creator of Structural Integration or "Rolfing
".
in the Bronx on May 19, 1896.
She attended Barnard College
and graduated in 1916 in the middle of World War I
. At the time, young men were fighting in Europe and she was given a unique opportunity for a woman to work as a researcher at the Rockefeller Institute under the supervision of Phoebus Aaron Theodore Levene. Levene was then the head of the biochemical laboratory at the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research.
Rolf's work at the Rockefeller Institute later became her PhD at Columbia University
which she obtained in biochemistry
from Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1920. Her dissertation was titled Three Contributions to the Chemistry of the Unsaturated Phosphatides. The topic of her research was phosphatides
.
. Her research was mostly laboratory studies on biochemical compound: lecithin
and cephalin.
In 1927, she left her academic work for reasons of health and family problems. She took leave to study mathematics and atomic physics at the Swiss Technical University in Zurich
and was later to develop Structural Integration. Rolf authored a total of 16 academic papers in biochemistry
from 1919 to 1927. She also published two papers in scholarly journals on structural integration. Rolf had an h-index
of 10 with total number of 299 citation
s (February, 2007).
.
In 1971, Dr. Rolf founded The Guild for Structural Integration, which later changed its name to The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration. Her second son Richard, helped to continue developing and refining rolfing, as well as assisting in studies of the healing effects of structural integration on the handicapped. Ida and Richard also taught rolfing classes at locations around the United States. Based for many years in New York city, Ida and Richard worked together to advance the practice and to make the general public aware of the practice and benefits of rolfing.
Rolfing
Rolfing is a therapy system created by The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration and is a system whereby the alleged manipulation of the fasciae by specific methods is theorized to yield therapeutic benefit....
".
Early life and education
Rolf was born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the Bronx on May 19, 1896.
She attended 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...
and graduated in 1916 in the middle of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. At the time, young men were fighting in Europe and she was given a unique opportunity for a woman to work as a researcher at the Rockefeller Institute under the supervision of Phoebus Aaron Theodore Levene. Levene was then the head of the biochemical laboratory at the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research.
Rolf's work at the Rockefeller Institute later became her PhD at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
which she obtained in biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
from Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1920. Her dissertation was titled Three Contributions to the Chemistry of the Unsaturated Phosphatides. The topic of her research was phosphatides
Phosphatidate
Phosphatidic acids are the acid forms of phosphatidates, a part of common phospholipids, major constituents of cell membranes. Phosphatidic acids are the simplest diacyl-glycerophospholipids.-Structure:...
.
Career
After graduating, Rolf continued to work with Levene at the Rockefeller Institute, first in the Department of Chemotherapy and later in the Department of Organic Chemistry, eventually attaining the rank of Associate. From 1919 to 1927 she published 16 scholarly journal papers mostly in the Journal of Biological ChemistryJournal of Biological Chemistry
The Journal of Biological Chemistry is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1905. Since 1925 it is published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It covers research in any area of biochemistry or molecular biology. The editor-in-chief is...
. Her research was mostly laboratory studies on biochemical compound: lecithin
Lecithin
Lecithin is a generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids .The word lecithin was originally coined in 1847 by...
and cephalin.
In 1927, she left her academic work for reasons of health and family problems. She took leave to study mathematics and atomic physics at the Swiss Technical University in Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
and was later to develop Structural Integration. Rolf authored a total of 16 academic papers in biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
from 1919 to 1927. She also published two papers in scholarly journals on structural integration. Rolf had an h-index
H-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
of 10 with total number of 299 citation
Citation
Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
s (February, 2007).
Publications
(from Institute for Scientific InformationInstitute for Scientific Information
The Institute for Scientific Information was founded by Eugene Garfield in 1960. It was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, became known as Thomson ISI and now is part of the Healthcare & Science business of the multi-billion dollar Thomson Reuters Corporation.ISI offered...
.
- Jacobs WA, Heidelberger M, Rolf IP, On certain aromatic amines and chloroacetyl derivatives JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 41: 458-474 MAR 1919
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Cephalin. VII. The glycerophosphoric acid of cephalin. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 40 (1): 1-16 NOV 1919
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Structure and significance of the phosphatides - Bibliography PHYSIOLOGICAL REVIEWS 1 (3): 327-393 JAN 1921
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Lechitin. III. Fatty acids of lechitin of the egg yolk. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 46 (1): 193-207 MAR 1921
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Lecithin. IV. Lecithin of the brain. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 46 (2): 353-365 APR 1921
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Unsaturated fatty acids of brain lecithins. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 54 (1): 99-100 SEP 1922
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Unsaturated fatty acids of brain cephalins. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 54 (1): 91-98 SEP 1922
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Lysolecithins and lysocephalins. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 55 (4): 743-749 APR 1923
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Simms HS Lysolecithins and lysocephalins. II. Isolation and properties of lysolecithins and lysocephalins. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 58 (3): 859-871 JAN 1924
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Synthetic lecithins. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 60 (3): 677-683 JUL 1924
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Plant phosphatides. I. Lecithin and cephalin of the soy bean. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 62 (3): 759-766 JAN 1925
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Bromolecithins. I. Fractionation of brominated soy bean lecithins. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 65 (2): 545-549 SEP 1925
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Bromolecithins. II. Bromolecithins of the liver and egg yolk. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 67 (3): 659-666 MAR 1926
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Plant phosphatides. II. Lecithin, cephalin, and so called cuorin of the soy bean. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 68 (2): 0285-0293 MAY 1926
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, Note on the preparation of cephalin. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 74 (3): 713-714 SEP 1927
- Levene PA, Rolf IP, The preparation and purification of lecithin. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 72 (2): 587-590 APR 1927
- Rolf IP, VERTICAL - Experiential Side to Human Potential. JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY 18 (2): 37-39 1978
- Rolf IP, Structural Integration - Contribution to understanding of stress. CONFINIA PSYCHIATRICA 16 (2): 69-79 1973
- Rolf IP, 1979. Rolfing: Reestablishing the Natural Alignment and Structural Integration of the Human Body for Vitality and Well-Being. Healing Arts Press. (Book)
Rolfing
Dr. Rolf began developing her system in the 1920s to help the chronically disabled who had been unable to find help elsewhere. Her main goal was of organizing the human bodily structure in relation to gravity. This method was originally called Postural Release and later Structural Integration, also commonly known as Rolfing.In 1971, Dr. Rolf founded The Guild for Structural Integration, which later changed its name to The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration. Her second son Richard, helped to continue developing and refining rolfing, as well as assisting in studies of the healing effects of structural integration on the handicapped. Ida and Richard also taught rolfing classes at locations around the United States. Based for many years in New York city, Ida and Richard worked together to advance the practice and to make the general public aware of the practice and benefits of rolfing.