Peggy Etter and Polymorphism: Highlights of an Enduring Scientific Legacy

Margaret C. “Peggy” Etter in her brief but inspiring career made lasting contributions to the field of organic solid-state chemistry. Although her studies on hydrogen bonding may be those for which she is most clearly remembered, her studies on polymorphism, which can be traced to some of her earliest published work, are also a significant part of her scientific record. In this Perspectives article her polymorphism studies are summarized, and current work on these same polymorphic systems is described. The current and active interest in the polymorphs Peggy studied during her lifetime demonstrates that Peggy’s scientific legacy endures. Less easily traced but still discernible in this scientific record is evidence of the kind of scientist and person Peggy Etter was: energetic, vibrant, and unforgettable.