Nüzhet Toydemir Gökdoğan (1910–2003) was Türkiye’s first female astronomer to emerge during the Republican era and made significant contributions to the institutionalization of astronomy in Türkiye through her scientific work and academic roles.

Nüzhet Gökdoğan was born on 14 August 1910 in the Fındıklı neighborhood of Istanbul. Her father was Mehmet Zihni Toydemir, a comrade-in-arms of Atatürk, and her mother was Nebihe Hanım. She began primary school in 1917 at the German School in Tünel but continued her education at other institutions after the school closed. She was sent as a boarder to Bezm-i Alem İnas Sultaniyesi to learn Turkish and later studied at Şişli Terakki and Erenköy Girls’ High School.

In 1928, at Atatürk’s recommendation and with a state scholarship, she was sent to France. She studied mathematics at the University of Lyon and later physics at the University of Paris. While undertaking an internship at the Paris Observatory in 1933, her performance earned her an offer to remain there; however, she declined the offer, stating “We owe this nation,” and returned to Türkiye.

In 1934, she was appointed as Türkiye’s first Turkish associate professor at the Institute of Astronomy within the Faculty of Science at Istanbul University. There, under the supervision of Ord. Prof. Dr. Erwin Finlay Freundlich, she prepared her doctoral thesis, titled “Contributions aux Recherches sur l’existence d’une Matière Obscure Interstellaire Homogène Autour du Soleil”, which became the first doctoral thesis recorded in the archives of Istanbul University’s Faculty of Science.

In 1940, she translated William M. Smart’s book Spherical Astronomy into Turkish under the title Kürevî Astronomi. In the same year, she also prepared a textbook titled Astronomi for high schools. Gökdoğan’s research focused particularly on solar observations and stellar atmospheres. Her 1961 French-language scientific paper on determining elemental abundances in the solar photosphere stands as one of her major contributions in this field.

In 1958, she became head of the Astronomy Chair at Istanbul University and held this position for 22 years. She collaborated with observatories in Europe on international projects and, together with her students, systematized astrophysical research in Türkiye.

In 1954, she was elected dean of the Faculty of Science, becoming Türkiye’s first female dean. In 1948, she joined the Istanbul University Senate, again achieving a first: she became Türkiye’s first female senator. That same year, she was among the founders of the Turkish Mathematical Society alongside Cahit Arf and Mustafa İnan.

She actively advocated for women’s representation in higher education and science. In 1949, together with pioneering women such as Süreyya Ağaoğlu and Remziye Hisar, she co-founded the Turkish University Women’s Association and served as its president for four terms. She also served as president of the Turkish Astronomical Society for 20 years.

Nüzhet Gökdoğan authored and translated numerous academic works. Her major books include:

• Dünyanın Yapısı (1940)
• Spektroskopiye Giriş (1978)
• Kozmografya (with W. Gleisberg, 1952)
• Astronomi (for high school, 1947)

She also published dozens of articles in national and international scientific journals. Among her most notable contributions are her studies on stellar atmospheres, the theory of growth curves, and analyses of the origins of sunspots.

Gökdoğan embraced an academic life grounded in promoting education and free thought. She consistently collaborated with her students and encouraged them toward scientific productivity. Even after retirement, she continued attending scientific meetings and led the institutionalization of astronomy in Türkiye.

She passed away on 23 April 2003 at the age of 93.