Branham was born July 25, 1888, in
Oxford, Georgia to mother Sarah ("Sallie") Stone and father Junius Branham. Although education of women was not commonplace at the time, members of Sara Branham's family were firm believers in the value of education for women. Following in the footsteps of her mother (Amanda Stone Branham, 1885 graduate) and grandmother (Elizabeth Flournoy Stone, 1840 graduate), She was a member of
Alpha Delta Pi. With few professional opportunities offered to women with an education then, she became a schoolteacher, working for ten years in Georgia's public school system in Sparta, Decatur, and finally at
Atlanta's Girls' High School. In 1927, Branham left Chicago and began working as an associate at the
University of Rochester School of Medicine under
Stanhope Bayne-Jones. and died November 16, 1962 She studied the toxins produced by
Shigella dysenteriae. The new name was officially accepted in the 1974 edition of ''
Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology'', Branham's studies in infectious disease were nationally known, and she came to be considered as one of the "grand ladies of microbiology". In a biographical article about Branham published in the
Atlanta Constitution, the huge impact of her work was summarized in the exclamation: "She killed millions of killers!" Alongside her busy professional life, Sara Branham played an active role in the community. She is regarded as a very influential woman that inspired those who worked with her throughout her career. She gave back to her
alma mater by being an active alumna and supporter, returning for reunions and serving as alumna trustee from 1936 to 1939. She was a featured speaker for several events and gave many lectures, including two in 1960 just a couple years before she died. She was also active in many scientific societies. She contributed to what is now the
American Society for Microbiology (then, known as the Society of American Bacteriologists). She was a delegate at the First and Second International Congresses in Microbiology in 1930 (Paris) and 1936 (London). She served as a diplomat on both the American Board of Pathology in the field of Clinical Microbiology and the
National Board of Medical Examiners. One of Branham's colleagues remarked that Branham was equally comfortable entertaining in a chiffon dress and in a lab coat. She was known to be meticulous about her home and lawn, and was an avid ornithologist and gardener. ==Awards and honors==