15 Facts About Honor Fell

Dame Honor Bridget Fell, DBE, FRS was a British scientist and zoologist.

Honor Fell had six sisters and two brothers, the younger of the two brothers, with down syndrome, died at the age of eight.

Honor Fell's father was a minor landowner but cannot be said to have been a successful farmer.

Honor Fell carried her pet ferret, Janie, to her sister Barbara's wedding when she was only thirteen.

Honor Fell had little contact with her family until the 1960s when one of her nephews, Henry Honor Fell, and his wife asked her to stay with them.

Honor Fell was educated at Wychwood School, North Oxford, and later at Madras College.

When Honor Fell graduated in 1922 and found no open scientific positions in Edinburgh, she began work full-time as a research assistant to Strangeways.

Honor Fell served as director until 1970 when she was succeeded by Michael Abercrombie.

In retirement, Honor Fell became a research worker in the Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, at the University of Cambridge, in 1970 where she took up the immunobiology of rheumatoid disease.

Honor Fell returned to Strangeways in 1979 and remained there, still working in the laboratory, until shortly before her death in 1986.

Honor Fell's career began during the early stages of the development of tissue culture as a method for working with living cells.

Honor Fell lived alone during her working life and never married or had children.

Honor Fell first lived at lodgings and then lived in a house near the Laboratory for easier access.

Honor Fell entertained little, but loved to go on picnics with her friends into the Fenland countryside.

Honor Fell listed 'Travel' as her recreation in Who's Who but her travel, though extensive and all around the world, was for attending a conference to meet and work for a few weeks with fellow scientists or deliver an important lecture or receive a distinguished prize.