19 Facts About Isabella Leitch

Isabella Leitch was a suffragette and a British nutritional physiologist.

Isabella Leitch published work on human pregnancy and a wide variety of subjects.

Isabella Leitch went on to work as a marine engineer.

Isabella Leitch's mother was another Isabella Leitch, she had been born a McLennan.

Isabella Leitch's parents had six children who were all daughters.

Isabella Leitch was educated at Peterhead Academy and then at Aberdeen University where she joined lots of courses.

Isabella Leitch was an enthusiastic supporter of the Women's Social and Political Union and she would go to London to hear the leaders talk.

Isabella Leitch was used to confuse the police at meetings as she was similar in appearance to Christabel Pankhurst.

Isabella Leitch was supported by the Carnegie Trust and there she researched the blood of invertebrates, the genetics of beans, the metabolism of peas.

Isabella Leitch was highly qualified but could not find work.

Isabella Leitch had a gift for languages, being fluent in French, German, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, and competent in Dutch and Italian, and she earned some money by doing translations.

Isabella Leitch had been employed as a temporary librarian in 1923 at the Rowett Research Institute, but she was the director John Boyd Orr's assistant where she spread "the gospel according to Sir John".

Isabella Leitch's boss moved to lead the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945.

Isabella Leitch said that when she first met him, he believed that the poor were poor because that was what they "deserved", and it was Isabella Leitch that changed his ideas and this in part led to his ideas on nutrition and his 1936 report, Food, Health and Income.

Isabella Leitch looked at his work and although she only saw three she recommended that ten be published.

Hytten and Isabella Leitch would meet one evening each week over several years to collate their work together.

Hytten credits Isabella Leitch with having the methodology, the contacts and the knowledge to quickly gather the required data.

Isabella Leitch was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by her alma mater, the University of Aberdeen in 1965.

Isabella Leitch held various positions at the Bureau including being its Director from 1945 to 1960.