Ruth Bleier

 November 17, 1923 – January 4, 1988

An American neurophysiologist and pioneering feminist scholar, Bleier explored how gender biases shape biology. After practicing general medicine in Baltimore for ten years, she lost her license for opposing the Korean War, deemed “un-American.” She later studied neuroanatomy and showed that ideas about gender, sexuality, and science change with social values rather than being neutral or fixed. At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she founded the Association of Faculty Women, which successfully fought for equal pay and equal athletic opportunities for women.