Professor Virginia Bartow taught chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 37 years and played an important role at the national level in the American Chemical Society and the women’s honor society Iota Sigma Pi.  Bartow was the first woman faculty member in chemistry at Illinois, and she served as an inspiring mentor to many young chemists. Bartow was always especially interested in the professional development of women students in chemistry and other sciences.  Each year, she hosted a dinner for them, and from 1925 until 1962, she served as the advisor to...