Sophie Germain

All things considered, she was probably the most profoundly intellectual woman that France has ever produced. And yet, strange as it may seem, when the state official came to make out her death certificate, he designated her as a "rentière-annuitant" (a single woman with no profession) -- not as a "mathématicienne." Nor is this all. When the Eiffel Tower was erected, there was inscribed on this lofty structure the names of seventy-two savants. …

…elasticity and vibration of metals. Despite her achievements, she was shunned by most of the academic community due to her gender. Germain never felt she received the credit that she deserved, and rightly so. Her accomplishments continued to be overlooked until the late nineteenth century, when attitudes about the role of women began to change. Historians now realize the scope of Germain’s achievements and place her among the great academics of the nineteenth century.