Crane

Ethal Eva Widdowson Crane (1912-2007) was born in London and earned a Ph.D in 1941 in nuclear physics. She became a lecturer in Physics at Sheffield University. However, trained as a quantum mathematician, she changed her field of interest to bees, and spent decades researching bees, traveling to more than 60 countries, often under primitive conditions.

Eva was a researcher and author on the subjects of bees and beekeeping. Her interest in bees began when she and her husband received a beehive as a wedding present; the giver had hoped that it would help supplement their wartime sugar ration.

Crane wrote over 180 papers, articles, and books, many when she was in her 70s and 80s. The New York Times reported that "Dr. Crane wrote some of the most important books on bees and apiculture."