Lloyd Albert Quarterman (May 31, 1918 – July 1982) was a pioneering African-American chemist who made significant contributions to nuclear research and fluoride chemistry. Born in Philadelphia, Quarterman developed an early interest in chemistry, often experimenting with toy chemistry sets. He pursued his passion at St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1943.
Shortly after graduation, Quarterman was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project, becoming one of the few African-American scientists involved in this top-secret endeavor. His primary responsibility was designing and constructing a special distillation system for purifying large quantities of hydrogen fluoride, which was crucial for separating the uranium isotope U-235 used in the atomic bomb. Quarterman worked closely with renowned scientists such as Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago and Albert Einstein at Columbia University. For his contributions to the project, he received a certificate of recognition from the War Department.
After the war, Quarterman continued his scientific career at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, where he worked for over 30 years. He earned his master’s degree in chemistry from Northwestern University in 1952 and made significant advancements in fluoride chemistry. Quarterman’s achievements include creating new compounds by reacting fluorine with noble gases, particularly xenon, and developing a corrosion-resistant “diamond window” to study hydrogen fluoride. In recognition of his work, St. Augustine’s College awarded him an honorary Ph.D. in chemistry in 1971. He held memberships in Sigma Xi, the American Chemistry Society (ACS), the Society of Applied Spectroscopy (SAS), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Throughout his career, Quarterman remained committed to inspiring African-American students to pursue STEM fields, giving frequent lectures and maintaining active involvement in the Chicago chapter of the NAACP.
References:
- https://aaregistry.org/story/lloyd-quarterman-chemist-born/
- https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/quarterman-lloyd-albert-1918-1982/
- https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/lloyd-albert-quarterman/
Image: By Unknown – Ebony magazine, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91257329
