Many of the academic refugees that Esther Simpson helped are well known. But who was she, and why has history forgotten her? This is the story of Esther Simpson, a woman whose dedication to the fight for freedom in science and learning left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of the modern world. Esther Simpson - Tess to her friends - devoted her life to the resettlement of academic refugees, whom she regarded as her family. By the end of her life, Simpson could count among her 'children' sixteen Nobel laureates, eighteen Knights, seventy-four members of the Royal Society, and thirty-four members of the British Academy. Her 'children' contributed significantly to the Allies' victory in World War II. From her humble childhood in Leeds with Russian immigrant parents, Simpson took on secretarial roles that led her to Paris, Vienna, and Geneva. However, when Hitler came to power in 1933, she took on a job in London at the Academic Assistance Council, which had just been established to save displaced German scholars, finding her eternal calling. For a woman associated with so many and such significant 'children,' it is astonishing how little is known about her. This book is a study of Esther Simpson: who she was and how she lived, what inspired her to take on and never abandon her calling, her impact on the world, and the historical context that helped shape her achievements.