Born in Minnesota

1926 Studied entomology in China and met Dr. Dean Edsall

1933 Received National Research Fellowship to study at the Department of Embryology of the Carnegie Institute.

Arthur T. Hertig began his long and extensive career in medicine and research during his high school years in Minnesota. While a senior, Hertig was already intrigued by the microscopic world and thus spent his spare time in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. His interest in this area continued while he worked for a year in China as an entomological assistant, and published his first paper. It was here that Hertig met Dr. Dean Edsall of the Harvard Medical School who was quite impressed with Hertig's work. As a result of this encounter, Hertig transferred to the Harvard Medical School as a third year student and he acquired a summer job working with Professor S. Burt Wolbach, who was chairman of the Pathology Department at Harvard.

Hertig continued working with Dr. Wolbach in general pathology at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, which started his career in pathology. He did a year residency in children's pathology at the Boston Lying-in Hospital, where he started the new laboratory in 1931, focusing on obstetric pathology. In 1933, Hertig received a National Research Fellowship and spent a year studying embryology under Dr. George L. Streeter, at the Department of Embryology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Baltimore. He spent two years in clinical obstetrics under Professor Frederick Irving and spent his time between being a pathologist at Lying-in and at the Free Hospital for Women. Hertig quickly became intent with disciplines that comprise the female reproductive system. This interest continued during his 15- year study (1938-1954) with Dr. John Rock for 34 specimens of early, fertilized human ova ranging in age from 1 to 17 days. In collaboration with Heuser, this collection came under his supervision, where he photographed, prepared and sectioned the specimens, which later became known as the Hertig and Rock embryo collection. Eventually this collection was donated to the Department of Embryology at the Carnegie Institute as part of the Carnegie Collection.

(1890-1984) Dr. John Rock had a close association with the Department of Embryology at the Carnegie Institute of Washington, specifically his work with Dr. Hertig. His relationship with the Institute began in the 1930's, while a professor at the Harvard Medical School and continued until 1945. In 1944, Rock became the first scientist to fertilize a human egg in a test tube. A decade later, Rock played a major role in the development and testing of the first birth control pill.