Profiles in Science - Barbara McClintock (1902-1992)

Barbara McClintock (1902-1992) was an American geneticist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of genetic transposition, or the ability of genes to change position on the chromosome. The American Philosophical Society is the repository for the Barbara McClintock Papers, which range from 1927 to 1991. The collection contains laboratory notes, correspondence, unpublished manuscripts, lecture notes, photographs, charts, illustrations, and audiovisual materials. As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine has made available online, in collaboration with the American Philosophical Society, a digitized selection of the Barbara McClintock Papers. This site also features correspondence from the Curt Stern Papers at the American Philosophical Society and the Charles Burnham Papers at the University of Minnesota Archives. This website provides access to the portions of the Barbara McClintock Papers that are now publicly available. Individuals interested in conducting research using the full collection of Barbara McClintock Papers should contact the American Philosophical Society. This Profile is designed to introduce you to the various phases of McClintock’s scientific career and professional life. Narrative sections available from the navigation bar under “The Story“ focus on McClintock’s life and major scientific contributions. Researchers can search the digitized items using the Search box or browse all Documents and Visuals in the collection by selecting “Collection Items“ from the navigation bar. For more information visit: