ABSTRACT
The scholarly and popular histories of the discovery of a helical structure for DNA share a perception of the importance of the Nobel prize when they regret that Rosalind Franklin's early death prevented her nomination for a share of it. Franklin's career has fitted H. Zuckerman's model as far as race, education, family ethos, and scientific training are concerned, but deviates where a tenured job is concerned. Zuckerman's findings can be used as a template against which to set the life of Franklin. Zuckerman's data were predominantly on males, for in the mid-1970s there was no living women laureate in the USA. Zuckerman's Scientific Elite lists all the science winners from 1902-1972, at which point there had been only five women winners. Franklin's career has fitted Zuckerman's model as far as race, education, family ethos, and scientific training are concerned, but deviates where a tenured job is concerned.
