# Edward Adelbert Doisy

_American biochemist (1893-1986)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/edward-adelbert-doisy
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Edward Adelbert Doisy (November 13, 1893 – October 23, 1986) was an American biochemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943 with Henrik Dam for their discovery of vitamin K (K from "Koagulations-Vitamin" in German) and its chemical structure.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 13 November 1893 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Hume ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P19))
- **Died:** 23 October 1986 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P570))
- **Place of death:** St. Louis ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P27))
- **Occupation:** biochemist; physician; university teacher; chemist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P106))
- **Education:** Harvard University; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Willard Gibbs Award; doctor honoris causa from the University of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612#P166))

## About

Doisy was born in Hume, Illinois, on November 13, 1893. He completed his A.B. degree in 1914 and his M.S. degree in 1916 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He completed his Ph.D. in 1920 from Harvard University.

In 1919 he accepted a faculty appointment in the Department of Biochemistry at Washington University School of Medicine, where he rose in rank to associate professor. In 1923, he moved to Saint Louis University as professor and chairman of the new Department of Biochemistry. He served as professor and chairman of that department until he retired in 1965. Saint Louis University renamed the department the E.A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry, in his honor. More recently, the department has again been renamed. It is now known as the E.A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

In 1940, he was a lecturer in medicine at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

He also competed with Adolf Butenandt in the discovery of estrone in 1930. They discovered the substance independently, but only Butenandt was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939.

## Questions

**When was Edward Adelbert Doisy born?**  
Edward Adelbert Doisy was born on 13 November 1893 in Hume.

**Where did Edward Adelbert Doisy study?**  
Edward Adelbert Doisy was educated at Harvard University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Edward Adelbert Doisy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Adelbert_Doisy) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q230612](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230612) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Edward A Doisy.jpg by The Nobel Foundation (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_A_Doisy.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Edward Adelbert Doisy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Edward A Doisy.jpg — The Nobel Foundation, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Edward Adelbert Doisy". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/edward-adelbert-doisy. Retrieved 5 November 2026.