Eleanor Anne Young (October 8, 1925 – July 13, 2007) was a Catholic religious sister, research scientist, and educator. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.[1][2]

Biography

The daughter of Carl Young and Eleanor Hamilton, she was born in Houston. Young joined the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in 1946. She received a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry (1947) from Incarnate Word College, a master's in nutrition education (1955) from St. Louis University and a PhD in nutrition, biochemistry and physiology (1968) from the University of Wisconsin.[1] She was an associate professor at Incarnate Word College and then a professor in medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center.[2] Young often asked her students to eat the same food as was being served to patients to help them appreciate the patient's viewpoint.[3] She also served on the staff at the Health Center Hospital as an associate consulting member and as a consultant in nutrition at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital.[2]

Young led the first studies to show a hereditary lactase deficiency in Hispanic people.[3] The nutrition curriculum that she established at the University of Texas Health Science Center was hailed by the National Academy of Sciences as a model for this type of program.[2]

In 1982, she was named Texas Dietician of the Year. In 1991, she was named a fellow of the American Institute of Nutrition.[2]

She died at the Incarnate Word Retirement Community in San Antonio.[1] Young donated her body to science.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Sister Eleanor A. Young". Express-News. San Antonio. July 15, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Young, Eleanor Anne". Texas Women's Hall of Fame. Texas Women's University. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08.
  3. ^ a b c "Milam, Young pass away, but leave legacies". UT Health Center News. July 26, 2007.