Gail Nickerson Oral History Interview

Gail Nickerson is a former chemist with the Department of Agriculture at Oregon State University, whose work was immensely influential in the global hop industry. In this interview, Nickerson discusses the series of event which led her to work in the research lab of USDA chemist Sam Likens. Nickerson discusses her move from dishwasher to published researcher, recounting the technology and methods utilized and developed by her research team. Of particular interest are Nickerson’s descriptions of hop analysis and the engineering of varieties with researcher Al Haunold.