Nancy Farley Wood

Nancy Farley "Nan" Wood (12 July 1903 – 19 March 2003) was a member of the Manhattan Project and a business owner who designed, developed and manufactured her own line of ionizing radiation detectors. She was a lifelong feminist and proponent of the Women's liberation movement as evidenced by her activities starting with being a founding member of Chicago NOW.^[1][2][3] During World War II, Wood taught calculus to U.S. Navy sailors in Chicago. When World War II ended she was recruited to the Manhattan Project where she designed and developed ionizing radiation detectors with John Alexander Simpson in the instrument division at the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory or Met Lab. In 1949 Wood founded the N. Wood Counter Laboratory.^[2][3]

Life and Times

Wood was born on a farm in 1903 at Green Ridge, Pettis County, Missouri and died in 2003 at the home of her son, William in Baroda, Berrien County, Michigan. Wood was the daughter of Daniel David Farley and Minerva Jane Ross. In 1928, she married John Curtis Wood and the couple had 5 children.

Education

Wood began her education in a one room schoolhouse in Green Ridge, Missouri. The family moved to central Missouri so she could attend college.^[2] Wood graduated from the Warrensburg Teacher's College and taught high school mathematics and physics. She attended the University of Chicago and in 1927 received a M.A. degree in education.

World War II and the Manhattan Project

Prior to and during World War II, Wood taught calculus to U.S. Navy sailors in Chicago, Illinois. When World War II ended she was recruited to the Manhattan Project where she designed and developed radiation detectors with John Alexander Simpson in the instrument division at the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory or Met Lab.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

N. Wood Counter Laboratory

In 1949, Wood founded the N. Wood Counter Laboratory.^[7] The company was located atop the Hyde Park Bank building in Chicago. The company was established to develop, manufacture and supply gas-filled gamma radiation detectors and neutron radiation detectors. The customer base was research laboratories and universities engaged in the development of the peaceful utilization of atomic energy.^[2][8][9] The N. Wood Counter Laboratory company remained in business for over 50 years to supply a range of BF₃ proportional neutron detectors, Geiger-Mueller detectors, proportional gamma counters and gas flow counters. In March 1994, Wood sold the company to her daughter, Marjory Wood Crawford.

In 1957, during the International Geophysical Year, the N. Wood model G-15-34A neutron detectors (Simpson Counters) were utilized to collect data worldwide.

NASA satellite programs

NASA chose the N. Wood Counter Laboratory G-5-3 neutron detectors to be deployed as the initial detectors to operate in the polar orbiting satellites. The N. Wood Counter Laboratory D-5-3L gamma detectors orbited in satellites as part of the following NASA satellite programs:

• Pioneer V mission.^{[10][10][11][12]}
• Discoverer or Corona satellite missions.^[13][14][15]
• Explorers program.^[16][17]
• Mariner program.^[18][19][20]
• Ranger program.^[21]

Patent Credits

• Chlorine logging system using neutron capture gamma rays. U.S. Patent No. 3,244,882.^[22]
• Production of chemistry-dependent gamma ray and thermal neutron logs corrected for porosity. U.S. Patent 3,435,217.^[23]
• Radioactive well logging system having a multiple conductor cable. U.S. Patent 3,439,165.^[24]
• Method for chlorine logging wherein both chlorine and calcium are logged using a plurality of select narrow windows. U.S. Patent 3,484,609.^[25]

Works Cited, Credits for use of N. Wood Counter Laboratory detectors

Fowler, W. B. (1950). Altitude Dependence of Neutron Production by Cosmic-Ray Particles. Physical Review. 79(1): 178. Martin Jr, Don S., Erling N. Jensen, Francis J. Hughes, and R. T. Nichols. (1951). Radiations from Yb-169. Physical Review. 82(5): 579. Hall, N. F., & Johns, D. H. (1953). The Separation of Technetium from Molybdenum, Cobalt and Silver. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 75(23): 5787-5791. Snowdon, S. C., & Whitehead, W. D. (1953). The Total Neutron Cross Sections of Gold, Chlorine, and Phosphorus. Physical Review. 90(4): 615. Ortel, William C.G. (1954). Neutron Production by Cosmic Rays. Physical Review. 93(3): 561. Macklin, R. L. (1957). Graphite sphere neutron detector. Nuclear Instruments.1(6): 335-339. Mosburg, Jr., Earl R. (1959). Scintillation Counter Method of Intercomparing Neutron Source Strengths by Means of a Manganous Sulfate Bath. Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards. 62(5): 189.

Lyon, W. S., & Macklin, R. L. (1959). Neutron activation at 195 KeV. Physical Review. 114(6): 1619. Raffle, J. F. (1959). Determination of absolute neutron flux by gold activation. Journal of Nuclear Energy. Part A. Reactor Science. 10(1): 8-13. Flournoy, P. A., Tickle, R. S., & Whitehead, W. D. (1960). Photo-neutron Cross Sections of Cobalt and Manganese. Physical Review. 120(4): 1424. Kiser, Robert W. (1960). Characteristic parameters of gas-tube proportional counters. Applied Scientific Research, Section B. 8(1): 183-200. Marion, J. B., Levesque, R. J. A., Ludemann, C. A., & Detenbeck, R. W. (1960). A Versatile, High Efficiency 4π Neutron Detector. Nuclear Instruments and Methods. 8(3): 297-303. DeVoe, James R. (1961). Radioactive Contamination of Materials Used in Scientific Research. National Academies of Science. National Research Council. Publication 895. Washington, D.C. Borchers, R. R., & Poppe, C. H. (1963). Neutrons from Proton Bombardment of Lithium. Physical Review. 129(6): 2679.

Teranishi, E., Furubayashi, B., Michikawa, T., Kageyama, M., & Yura, O. (1964). A Paraffin-Moderated 4π-Neutron Detector. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 3(1): 36. Beckurts, K. H., & Wirtz, K. (1964). Standardization of Neutron Measurements. In Neutron Physics (pp. 296–312). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Heertje, I., Delvenne, L., Nagel, W., & Aten, A. H. W. (1964). A search for fast neutron detectors without a threshold. Physica. 30(12): 2290-2294. Gibbons, J. H., & Macklin, R. L. (1965). Total Cross Section for Be-9 (α, n). Physical Review. 137(6B): B1508. Sokolova, Z. Y., & Chernyaev, V. B. (1968). Detector for low neutron fluxes. Atomic Energy. 25(3): 1018-1019. Pönitz, W. P. (1969). Experimental determination of the efficiency of the grey neutron detector. Nuclear Instruments and Methods. 72(1): 120-122.

Feminism and Woman’s Liberation

• Founding member, Chicago NOW, National Organization for Women
• Woman of the Year, Chicago NOW, 1977
• National secretary, NOW, National Organization for Women
• International Chairman, Status of Women, Zonta International^[2][3]

Community Service

• Save the Dunes Council, Indiana
• Member, Izaak Walton League
• Hyde Park business woman

References

1. Love, Barbara J., Cott, Nancy F. (2015). Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975. University of Illinois Press.
2. Cholo, Ana Beatriz. (17 May 2003). Nancy Farley Wood, 99. Early feminist, business owner. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois.
3. Editor. (30 April 2003). Nancy “Nan” Farley Wood. Chesterton Tribune. Chesterton, Indiana.
4. Simpson, J. A. (1946). A Precision Alpha Proportional Counter (Vol. 80). War Department, Corps of Engineers, Office of the District Engineer, Manhattan District.
5. Simpson Jr, J. A. (1947). A Precision Alpha‐Proportional Counter. Review of Scientific Instruments. 18(12): 884-893.
6. Simpson Jr, J. A. (1948). Air proportional counters. Review of Scientific Instruments. 19(11): 733-743.
7. Frame, P. (1999). Nancy Wood BF₃ Proportional Counter (ca. early 1950s). Oak Ridge Associated Universities. Oak Ridge, TN.
8. Olsher, Richard H. (October 1991). Calibration correction factors for the Los Alamos neutron well. Proceedings of the Third Conference on Radiation Protection and Dosimetry. Orlando, Florida. (Describes use of the Eberline NRD sphere with N. Wood BF₃ detector.)
9. Zaeh, R.A. (1992). Annual Report. Purchasing and Materials Management Organization. Sandia National Laboratories. Fiscal Year 1992 listed N. Wood Counter Laboratory as doing $1425 in business in 1992.
10. Fan, C. Y., Meyer, P., & Simpson, J. A. (1960). Preliminary results from the space probe Pioneer V. Journal of Geophysical Research. 65(6): 1862-1863.
11. Fan, C. Y., Meyer, P., & Simpson, J. A. (1961). Dynamics and structure of the outer radiation belt. Journal of Geophysical Research. 66(9): 2607-2640.
12. Simpson, J. A., Fan, C. Y., & Meyer, P. (1960, April). Preliminary results from the space probe Pioneer V. In Washington AGU meeting, Planetary Sciences Program, Fifth Session.
13. Albert, R., Hess, W., & Gilbert, C. (January 1962). Measurement of charged particles and neutrons on Discoverer flights. Journal of Geophysical Research. 67(9): 3537.
14. Keith, J. E., & Turkevich, A. L. (1962). Radioactivity induced in Discoverer 17 by solar‐flare protons. Journal of Geophysical Research. 67(12): 4525-4532.
15. Hsieh, K. C., & Simpson, J. A. (1970). The Relative Abundances and Energy Spectra of ³He and ⁴He from Solar Flares. The Astrophysical Journal, 162: L191.
16. Fan, C. Y., Meyer, P., & Simpson, J. A. (1960). Cosmic radiation intensity decreases observed at the earth and in the nearby planetary medium. Physical Review Letters. 4.
17. Simpson, J. A., Fan, C. Y., & Meyer, P. (1962). Dynamics of the Outer Radiation Belt. J. Phys. Soc. Japan. 17: (Supplement A).
18. O'gallagher, J. J., & Simpson, J. A. (1965). Search for trapped electrons and a magnetic moment at Mars by Mariner IV. Science. 149(3689): 1233-1239.
19. Simpson, J. A., & Wang, J. R. (1967). Dimension of the Cosmic-Ray Modulation Region. The Astrophysical Journal. 149: L73.
20. Simpson, J. A., & Wang, J. R. (1970). The eleven-year and residual solar modulation of cosmic rays (1952-1969). The Astrophysical Journal. 161: 265.
21. Garcia-Munoz, M., Mason, G. M., & Simpson, J. A. (1973). The abundances of galactic cosmic-ray carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen and their astrophysical implications. The Astrophysical Journal, 184, 967-994.
22. Baldwin, W. F., & Berry, J. E. (25 September 1962). Chlorine logging system using neutron capture gamma rays. US 3244882 A. USPTO. U.S. Patent No. 3,244,882. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
23. Givens, Wyatt W. (25 March 1969). Production of chemistry-dependent gamma ray and thermal neutron logs corrected for porosity. U.S. Patent No. 3,435,217. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
24. Hopkinson, Eric C. & Youmans, Arthur H. (15 April 1969). Radioactive well logging system having a multiple conductor cable. U.S. Patent No. 3,439,165. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
25. Pritchett, William C., Gant Jr., Orland J. & Calkins, Ray L. (16 December 1969). Method for chlorine logging wherein both chlorine and calcium are logged using a plurality of select narrow windows." U.S. Patent 3,484,609. U.S. Patent No. 3,484,609. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

External links

• N. Wood Counter Laboratory BF₃ neutron detector
• Save the Dunes Council