Black Scientists
Black scientist highlight presentation by Elvis Umaña and Hrishikesh Tupkar.
File: Black-Scientists.pdfBlack Scientist Highlights
Emmett W. Chappelle
American scientist inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for groundbreaking work in bioluminescence.
Emmett Chappelle (1925 – 2019) was a scientist who made strides in the fields of medicine, astrochemistry, and food science. He earned a B.S. in biology from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in biology from the University of Washington. Joining the Research Institute in Baltimore in 1958, here Chappelle discovered that single-celled organisms such as algae are photosynthetic. Later in life, he joined NASA as an exobiologist and astrochemist, working on instruments designed to collect soil from the surface of Mars. While designing these instruments, he began studying bioluminescence. During this research, he developed a method to detect ATP using chemicals causing bioluminescence in fireflies. His work at NASA was recognized in 1994, when Chappelle was awarded NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal. For all his work, he has achieved multiple patents and has been honored as one of the 100 most distinguished African American scientists of the 20th century.
Mae C. Jemison
“You have the right to be involved. You have something important to contribute, and you have to take the risk to contribute it.” – Mae Jemison
Jemison is an engineer, doctor, and astronaut from Decatur, AL. As a child, she knew she wanted to study science, yet she was irritated with the lack of women and black scientists—especially on the Apollo Missions. She graduated with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1977, an M.D. in 1981, and became the first black astronaut in 1992. Jameson faced racial discrimination throughout her studies and demonstrated strength in persisting. She has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame among other honors, and currently leads the 100 Year Starship Project through DARPA.
James Andrew Harris
“The greatest people will be those who possess the best capacities, cultivated with the best habits.” – James Andrew Harris
Harris grew up Waco, Texas with a single mother. With help from his aunt, Harris obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1953 from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin. He struggled to find work as a chemist due to his race, as employers insisted that a Black man was unqualified to work in science. Harris eventually landed a job as a radiochemist at Tracerlab in California; however, his best work was at Berkeley National Laboratory. Thanks to Harris’s persistence and scientific acumen, his team discovered two elements: element 104, rutherfordium, and 105, dubnium. He was awarded an honorary PhD from Houston-Tilliston College and Merit Awards from the National Urban League.
Percy Lavon Julian
“It was then that I made my vow that I would forever fight to keep hope alive because there is always a way out.” – Percy Lavon Julian
Julian was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1899. He faced social and academic prejudice, leaving him unprepared for higher education. Regardless, Julian graduated Depauw as valedictorian and earned a fellowship to obtain his master’s in organic chem at Harvard and earned his PhD at the University of Vienna. Julian discovered methods to produce progesterone and cortisone at industrial levels throughout his research. Julian has 19 honorary degrees and is in the N.A.S.
Marie Maynard Daly
“Courage is like – it’s a habitus, a habit, a virtue: you get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming.” – Marie M. Daly
Dr. Marie M. Daly was a biochemist from Queens, NY. She experienced financial struggles throughout her studies and due to this reason, she chose to attend college close to home. She earned a B.S. and an M.S. in chemistry and despite racial and gender biases, became the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States. Daly made substantial contributions in the field of biochemistry, and in addition to research, she was committed to providing opportunities for minority students interested in attending medical schools and graduate programs. She established a scholarship for minority students pursuing science majors at Queens College in 1988 in honor of her father, who was unable to pursue a career in science due to the lack of opportunities available to him. In 1999, The National Technical Association recognized her as one of the top 50 women in Science, Engineering, and Technology.
Walter Lincoln Hawkins
“If you fight hard, know who you are, and are proud of who you are, you’ve got a good chance of winning” – Walter Lincoln Hawkins
Dr. Walter Lincoln Hawkins was a polymer chemist and engineer who earned a B.S. in chemical engineering and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in chemistry. At a time when people of color were not provided many opportunities in STEM, Hawkins became the first Black person to join the Bell Laboratories technical staff in 1942. He made substantial impacts in the polymer chemistry field through the innovation of a safe cable sheath polymer to replace the lead-based material used in telephone cables. Hawkins was also a major contributor towards advocacy efforts for minorities and engineers who wanted to earn Ph.D.’s through the Bell Laboratories Cooperative Research Fellowship Program. Among many honors and achievements, Hawkins became the first Black engineer to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 1975 and was honored with a National Medal of Technology in 1992.