Alma Levant Hayden
Alma Levant Hayden (March 30, 1927 – August 2, 1967) was a pioneering African-American chemist who made significant contributions to the field of analytical chemistry and regulatory science. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Hayden initially planned to become a nurse but discovered a passion for chemistry during her studies. Hayden’s academic journey began at South […]
James Andrew Harris
James Andrew Harris (March 26, 1932 – December 12, 2000) was a pioneering African American nuclear chemist who made significant contributions to the field of element discovery. Born in Waco, Texas, Harris later moved to Oakland, California, before returning to Texas to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Huston-Tillotson College in 1953. […]
Dr. Alfreda Johnson Webb
Dr. Alfreda Johnson Webb (February 21, 1923 – October 14, 1992) was a trailblazing African-American veterinarian, educator, and politician who made significant contributions to veterinary medicine and public service. Born in Mobile, Alabama, Webb pursued her education at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1943. In 1949, […]
Meredith “Flash” Gourdine, PhD
Dr. Meredith “Flash” Gourdine (September 26, 1929 – November 20, 1998) was a pioneering African-American physicist, engineer, and Olympic medalist who made significant contributions to the field of electrogasdynamics. Born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Gourdine demonstrated exceptional academic and athletic abilities from an early age. Gourdine’s academic journey began […]
Marie Clark Taylor, PhD
Dr. Marie Clark Taylor (February 16, 1911 – December 28, 1990) was a pioneering African-American botanist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of plant science and science education. Born in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, Taylor demonstrated academic excellence from an early age, graduating with honors from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. in 1929. […]
Norbert Rillieux
Norbert Rillieux (March 17, 1806 – October 8, 1894) was a pioneering Creole inventor and chemical engineer who revolutionized the sugar industry with his groundbreaking multiple-effect evaporation system. Born in New Orleans to a prominent family, Rillieux was the son of a white plantation owner and engineer and a free woman of color. His early […]
Walter McAfee, PhD
Dr. Walter Samuel McAfee (September 2, 1914 – February 18, 1995) was a pioneering African-American physicist and astronomer who made significant contributions to radar technology and space exploration. Born in Ore City, Texas, McAfee pursued his passion for science, earning a BS (1934) in Mathematics from Wiley College and a MS (1937) in Physics from […]
Lloyd Albert Quarterman
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 […]
Dr. St. Elmo Brady
Dr. St. Elmo Brady (December 22, 1884 – December 26, 1966) was a pioneering African-American chemist who made significant contributions to science education and research. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Brady was encouraged to pursue higher education and attended Fisk University, where he graduated with a B.S. in chemistry in 1908. After graduation, he began his […]
Ruth Ella Moore, PhD
Dr. Ruth Ella Moore (May 19, 1903 – July 19, 1994) was an African-American bacteriologist and the first African-American woman to receive a PhD in natural sciences. Born in Ohio, Dr. Moore was raised by parents who both held secondary degrees. She obtained a BA (1926), and MS (1927), and PhD in Bacteriology (1933) from […]