Alice Catherine Evans

 Alice Catherine Evans (January 29 1881 - September 5 1975) was an American microbiologist.She was an expert researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There she investigated bacteriology of cheese and milk. Later, she proved the fact that Bacillus abortus (now called Brucella abortus) caused the illness brucellosis (undulant fever, also known as Malta fever) for cattle and humans.Evans was born the eldest of two children who lived on an agricultural property in Neath, Bradford County, Pennsylvania and was the daughter of William Howell, a farmer, and surveyor, and Anne B. Evans, who was a teacher.Neath was named in honor of Neath, Wales, where Evans's paternal grandparents had emigratedfrom in 1831. When Evans was between five and six She was educated at home by her parents and then attended a one-room school house in Neath where she was able to earn top grades.In 1886, Evans survived scarlet fever and her sister Morgan. [citation needed] She attended the Susquehanna Collegiate Institute, Towanda and was part of the women's basketball team. Basketball was a sport that was new for women and the public were shocked by the ungladylike game. At one game, the doctor was not willing to treat Evans finger that was dislocated.