Royal Institution frozen, he was not allowed to practise as a doctor, and Humphry Davy was appointed as his assistant, so he resigned. Humphry Davy was an even greater success, as was his assistant and successor Michael Faraday. Davy's immediate successor was William Thomas Brande. Thus the Institution has had an instrumental role in the advancement of science since its founding. Notable scientists who have worked there include Sir Humphry Davy (who discovered sodium and potassium), Michael Faraday, James Dewar, Sir William Henry Bragg and Sir William Lawrence Bragg (who jointly won the Nobel prize for their work on x-ray diffraction), Max
Lucille Davy retain Davy as acting commissioner while he led a national search for a new commissioner, a search which included Davy. When he appointed Davy to the post, he said her work as acting commissioner convinced him to select her for the permanent post. Davy is a lifelong New Jersey resident and grew up in Livingston, New Jersey where she was a graduate of Livingston High School. She graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, and she received her law degree from the Notre Dame Law School. She and her husband reside in Pennington, New