Elizabeth McCoy

Elizabeth McCoy (1903-1978) was an American microbiologist and a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Born in Wisconsin, McCoy received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1929. She joined the school's faculty after earning her degree and was one of the first woman to become a full professor there. Her research included significant contributions in multiple areas within microbiology, and she became one of the first prominent women within the field. While working on a government project during World War II, McCoy discovered a penicillin strain which led to the drug's widespread commercial usage. McCoy also developed the antibiotic oligomycin; while the drug never became a useful treatment for disease, it is still used in research. McCoy's other research included work in soil microbiology, the microbiology of water bodies, and botulism.

McCoy's house in Fitchburg, where she lived from 1949 until her death, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.