| In 1950, Thressa
and Earl looked for academic positions in which they could
both work at the same professional level. At that time,
however, most universities had anti-nepotism rules that
did not allow more than one family member to work in the
same department. Intended to protect universities from
favoritism, the rules often had the effect of discriminating
against married women. No one seriously challenged the
rules until the1960s, when the American Association of
University Women began to protest their unfairness.
Thressa and Earl's situation illustrates how strictly
universities adhered to anti-nepotism policies. In
the spring of 1950, Earl was courted by several schools,
including Yale, Tufts, and Indiana. The Institute
of Radiobiology and Biophysics at the University of
Chicago made the most concrete offer of an assistant
professorship with an annual salary of $5,000. Earl
was particularly attracted to the research opportunity
at Chicago, but he felt that he could not accept the
offer without securing an equivalent position for
his wife. He conveyed his sentiments to T. R. Hogness,
Director of the Institute:
"If my own future were the only consideration, I would
not hesitate to accept your fine offer. However, my
decision is complicated by the fact that Mrs. Stadtman
is also a scientist and if possible, we would like
to get located in an area where she can get a suitable
position also." In his reply, Hogness gave the advice
that: "If your decision is to be based upon simultaneous
academic staff appointments for both you and Mrs.
Stadtman, it may mean that you are closing your
opportunities for an academic career, since I believe
that the policy of the University of Chicago in
this regard is no different from that of most other
universities."
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