Mary Lura Sherrill (July 14, 1888 – October 27, 1968) was recognized for her achievements in chemical research, particularly the synthesis of antimalarial compounds, and for her teaching at Mount Holyoke College. In 1947, she received the Garvan Medal, an award for women in chemistry. Early life and education Sherrill was born in Salisbury, North Carolina on July 14, 1888, the daughter of Miles and Sarah (Bost) Sherrill. She was educated at public schools in North Carolina, before attending Randolph-Macon Women's College, where she received a B.A. in chemistry in 1909. Her interest in chemistry was stimulated by one of her freshmen year teachers, Fernando Wood Martin. Learning and teaching Sherrill continued her education by combining teaching and study. She worked as an assistant in chemistry at Randolph-Macon while taking classes towards her M.A. degree in physics, which she earned in 1911. She continued to teach at Randolph-Macon until 1916. During the 1916–1917 academic year, Sherrill attended the University of Chicago Ph.D. program. From 1917 to 1920, she attended the University of Chicago during the summer, while teaching during the winter. She worked at Randolph-Macon in 1917–1918 and at North Carolina College for Women in 1918–1920. She was mentored by Julius Stieglitz. For her graduate research, she studied the synthesis of barbiturates, and methods of synthesizing esters of methylenedisalicylic acid. During the first world war, Stieglitz actively recruited chemists for the war effort. Sherrill worked full-time as a research associate for the Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) in 1920–1921. Her research involved the synthesis of a gas to cause sneezing, and she obtained a patent on its commercial production. After the war, Stieglitz recommended Sherrill to Emma Perry Carr, chair of the Mount Holyoke chemistry department. Sherrill worked as a research assistant there from 1921 to 1923, while finishing her Ph.D. thesis. She received her doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1923. At home and at work at Mount Holyoke After completing her Ph.D., Sherrill was promoted to associate professor of chemistry (1924) and then to full professor (1931). She became department chair in 1946. She and Emma Perry Carr became devoted friends, living, working, and traveling together. Their colleague Lucy Weston Pickett was to recall: "She was very devoted to Miss Carr... and they worked very well together. She was a good teacher and a good scientist in her own right, but somehow we thought of them together." The