Who was the third recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize with Watson and Crick?

The third recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize shared with Watson and Crick was Maurice Wilkins. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its importance for information transfer in living material.

Wilkins worked at King’s College London, where he led early X-ray diffraction studies of DNA. His research produced important evidence that DNA had a helical structure and helped inspire James Watson’s interest in the problem. Wilkins also played a role in bringing key diffraction data into the wider DNA research effort.

Rosalind Franklin is a common mix-up because her X-ray image known as Photo 51 provided crucial evidence for the double-helix model. However, she did not share the 1962 Nobel Prize: she had died in 1958, and Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously. The award was divided between Watson, Crick, and Wilkins.