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the Destruction of Alice Grey

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I wrote this back in 1966, my junior undergraduate year and first year participating in a research program.. The professor who invited me into his group of graduate students and encouraged me to pursue a career in science really did proclaim that "women are inferior in creative thought", but I always took that as just puttting spurs to a horse capable of winning the steeplechase.

Still there is absolutely no doubt that girls and women were steered away from STEM studies and were made unwelcome in science in those days. Women were constantly accused of being insufficiently commited to working careers, presumed likely to abandon work in favior of marrriage and motherhood.

Times have changed, though not nearly enough.

<a href="alice_grey_engin143.midi">[Play Sound]</a>
MIDI for Engine 143 (tempo is rather slow)

the Destruction of Alice Grey

by Pam Green , © 1966 , 2017

to tune of "The Wreck of the F. F. V"
( also known as "Engine 143" )

There was a girl named Alice Grey, a student I once knew.
She was of high intelligence but homeogametic too.
She soon applied to graduate school, for Science was her life,
Besides she'd die of boredom as someone's housebound wife.

Now Alice's professor thought she need not be taught :
"All females are inferior at any creative thought,
Because they aren't committed", his words brooked no reply,
"To be an intellectual you have to be XY"

Her professor said to Alice, "My darling girl lie still.
You cannot be a scientist, 'tis not God's blessed will."
"Oh no !" she cried "this will not do : I'd rather die so free;
I'd rather die for the things I love, for A, T, C, and G"

footnotes:

"homogametic" means XX chromosomes, thus female. males are XY
A, T, C, and G are the 4 letters of the genetic code as written in DNA

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site author Pam Green	copyright 2003
created 8/16/2017	revised 8/16/2017
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the Destruction of Alice Grey

the Destruction of Alice Grey

by Pam Green , © 1966 , 2017

to tune of "The Wreck of the F. F. V" ( also known as "Engine 143" )

to tune of "The Wreck of the F. F. V"
( also known as "Engine 143" )