Notable African Americans in Science Links

African American Inventors

Notable African Americans in Science


NAME	LIFE DATES	RESEARCH AREA	NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
Alexander, Lloyd E.	1902-	Cell biology (embryology)	Kentucky State College holds Lloyd E. Alexander Day, featuring student biology presentations, every year in his honor.
Berry, Leonidas	1902-	Gastrointestinal systems	Elected president of the National Medical Association in 1965; founder of the Flying Black Medics, Cairo, Illinois, who created clinics for black people otherwise denied care.
Blackwell, David Harold	1919-	Mathematics	Noted for his work on game theory; became first African American member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1965; received Von Neumann Theory Prize in 1979.
Bramwell, Fitzgerald B.	1945-	Chemistry	Leader of CHEMCOM, national program for high school chemistry students.
Branson, Herman R.	1914-1995	Biophysics	Discovered spiral hemoglobin pattern that helped reveal the secret of DNA's structure.
Bromery, Randolph W.	1926-	Geology	Helped found the Weston Geophysical International Corporation in 1981 and the Geoscience Engineering Corporation in 1983.
Brooks, Carolyn Branch	1946-	Microbiology	Recognized by President Bill Clinton in 1998 at the first annual White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Campbell, George, Jr.	1945-	Physics	Performed his wartime government service in Kabwe, Zambia, as a math teacher in 1968; leader in National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).
Carruthers, George R.	1939-	Astrophysics	Awarded the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1972 for building a camera that could measure ultraviolet light.
Carson, Benjamin S., Sr.	1951-	Physiology	Successfully separated two Siamese twins who shared a single blood supply to their brains in 1987.
Carver, George Washington	1864-1943	Biochemistry, plant physiology	Recipient of Spingarn Medal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1923; appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1935; awarded Franklin Roosevelt Medal for distinguished research in agricultural chemistry in 1937; named International Federation of Architects, Engineers, Chemists, and Technicians Man of the Year in 1940; posthumously funded the George Washington Carver Research Foundation.
Chappelle, Emmett W.	1925-	Biochemistry	Holder of 13 patents for his inventions.
Cobb, Jewel Plummer	1924-	Cell biology	Prominent researcher on skin cancer; outspoken activist in recruitment of women and minorities in the sciences.
Craft, Thomas J., Sr.	1924-	Developmental biology, education	Adviser to the National Institutes of Health; interest in the training of science teachers at all levels led him to train college science teachers in India in 1967 and 1968.
Daly, Marie Maynard	1921-	Biochemistry	First black woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry in 1947; fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; pioneer on the effects of cigarette smoke on the lungs.
Darden, Christine Mann	1942-	Mechanical engineering	Reproduced the effects of a sonic boom in a computer program for NASA in 1967.
Davis, Leodis	1933-	Biochemistry	Medical Faculty Award from Lederle Pharmacutical Company for work on liver enzyme and B6 vitamin.
Dorman, Linneaus C.	1935-	Organic chemistry	Researched ways to reduce environmental damage done by agricultural chemicals.
Drew, Charles R.	1904-1950	Physiology	Became director of the first American Red Cross Blood Bank in 1941 but disagreed with their policy of separating blood by race; awarded Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1944 for training African American doctors; appointed by surgeon general to task force in Europe in 1949 to improve postwar medical care.
Drew, James B.	1922-	Physiology	Obtained master's degree in 1954 from Rutgers University in New Jersey, the first African American to obtain an advanced degree from Rutgers.
Dunbar, Joseph C.	1944-	Physiology	Won Minority Achievement Award in 1989 for his research on the transplanted pancreas.
Elliot, Irving Wesley, Jr.	1925-	Organic chemistry	Participated in 1955 Tallahassee bus boycott; discovered a now-patented chemical in 1988 that is being tested against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Eure, Herman	1947-	Parasitology	Adviser about racial bias to developers of aptitude tests.
Evans, Slayton, Jr.	1943-	Organic chemistry	Researched a medicine that controls schistosomiasis, a parasite-borne disease that is common in Southeast Asia.
Ferguson, Angela D.	1925-	Physiology	Pioneer of health work with African American children, particularly sickle-cell anemia cases.
Ferguson, Lloyd Noel	1918-	Biochemistry	Won Guggenheim fellowship to study fermentation in Denmark in 1953; in 1958 made head of department of chemistry at Howard University, the first chemistry program at a black college; founder of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, providing mentoring for young African American chemists.
Florant, Gregory L.	1951-	Animal physiology	Fulbright Scholar in Graves, France, in 1983, studying the effects of insulin on hibernating animals; fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1989.
Francisco, Joseph S.	1955-	Chemistry	Recipient of Presidential Young Investigator Award and a research fellowship from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 1990 for his work on the effects of chlorine on the ozone.
Franklin, Renty B.	1945-	Physiology	Received Howard Hughes-Morehouse Distinguished Scientists Award in 1994.
Fraser-Reed, Bertram	1934-	Organic chemistry	Received the Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Award for outstanding contributions to chemistry in 1977.
Fuller, A. Oveta	1955-	Microbiology	Work on herpes funded by such agencies as the Anna Fuller Cancer Fund, the U.S. Public Health Service, and the National Institutes of Health.
Gillyard, Cornelia Denson	1941-	Organic chemistry	Worked with NASA on programs to encourage African American women in the sciences.
Gipson, Mack, Jr.	1931-	Geology	Founded first geological sciences program in 1964 at a historically black university, Virginia State University.
Gourdine, Meredith C.	1929-1998	Engineering physics	Founded Gourdine Systems in 1964 and Energy Innovations in 1974; invented many devices based on the concept of the fuel cell and held over 70 U.S. and foreign patents.
Granville, Evelyn Boyd	1924-	Mathematics	Became one of the first two black women to earn a doctorate in mathematics in 1949; designed computer programs for NASA's Apollo project.
Gwaltney, John L.	1928-	Anthropology	Author of The Dissenters (1986), oral history that was nominated for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
Hall, Lloyd Augustus	1894-1971	Chemistry	Discovered new ways to cure meats, preserve foods with germ-free spices, and prevent fats from spoiling.
Harris, Don Navarro	1929-	Biochemistry	Holder or coholder of five patents on curative compounds.
Harris, Mary Styles	1949-	Genetics	Worked throughout her career with the media to point out the links between science and medicine and to promote awareness of the health issues of African Americans.
Harris, Wesley L.	1941-	Aeronautical engineering	Researched gas dynamics and aeronautical acoustics; fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1992.
Harrison, Faye Venetia	1951-	Anthropology	Author of Decolonizing Anthropology (1991); researched women's issues in Jamaica.
Harrison, Robert W., III	1941-	Endocrinology	Researched diseases of the adrenal gland.
Hawkins, Walter Lincoln	1911-1992	Organic chemistry	First African American to join the Bell Labs staff in 1942; first chairperson of SEED, an American Chemical Society program encouraging minority participation in the sciences in 1981; first black member of the National Academy of Engineering; presented with the National Technology Award in 1992 by President George Bush.
Haynes, John K.	1943-	Cell biology	Researched the relationship between calcium and sickle cells.
Henderson, James H. M.	1917-	Plant physiology	Lifelong study of sweet potatoes, active in the Civil Rights Movement.
Henry, Warren E.	1909-	Physical chemistry	Researched superconductivity and magnetism.
Hill, Walter A.	1946-	Plant physiology	Developed a method for growing sweet potatoes in water for NASA.
Hinton, William Augustus	1883-1959	Microbiology	Created the widely used Hinton test for syphillis.
Hrabowski, Freeman A., III	1950-	Mathematics	Created the Meyerhoff Scholarship program with Robert and Jane Meyerhoff in 1988.
Jackson, Shirley Ann	1946-	Theoretical physics	Appointed head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by President Clinton in 1995.
Jackson, William M.	1936-	Physical chemistry	Director of a million-dollar government grant used to increase minority participation in the sciences.
Jearld, Ambrose, Jr.	1944-	Marine biology	Regional coordinator of all New England fisheries.
Jemison, Mae C.	1956-	Physiology	Became the first African American woman in space in 1992 on the space shuttle Endeavour.
Jones, Frederick M.	1893-1961	Mechanical engineering	Founded U.S. Thermo Control Company in 1935 after inventing an air-conditioned truck for the transportation of food; held 61 patents.
Julian, Percy Lavon	1899-1975	Organic chemistry	Pioneered the synthesis of cortisone; elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1960; received 19 honorary degrees.
Just, Ernest Everett	1883-1941	Marine biology	Awarded the first NAACP Spingarn Medal in 1915 for his work in biology.
King, James, Jr.	1933-	Physical chemistry	Researched pollution reduction; named Technologist of the Year in 1993 by National Technical Association.
Kittrell, Flemmie P.	1904-1980	Nutrition	Created graduate nutrition programs at Howard University; researched nutrition across Asia and Africa.
Kornegay, Wade M.	1934-	Engineering physics	Named scientist of the year in 1990 by Society of Black Engineers.
Kountz, Samuel Lee	1930-1981	Physiology	With Roy Cohen, performed first mother-to-child kidney transplant in 1961.
Langford, George M.	1944-	Cell biology	In 1992 research team discovered a new transport system in cells that could be fundamental in learning to control the spread of cellular diseases such as cancer.
Lawrence, Margaret Morgan	1914-	Psychiatry	Pioneer in the study of the emotional and developmental effects of poverty on children.
Leevy, Caroll M.	1920-	Physiology	Specialized in the study of liver disease; became the scientific director of the Sammy Davis Jr. National Liver Institute in 1984.
Lester, William A., Jr.	1937-	Theoretical chemistry	Researched high-velocity molecular collisions; won Percy L. Julian Award for Pure and Applied Research in 1979.
Lewis, H. Ralph	1931-	Theoretical physics	Researched a thermonuclear fusion reactor that would not produce radioactive waste.
Macklin, John W.	1939-	Physical chemistry	Developed, with his associates, a microscopic light meter to study the origins of one-celled creatures.
Massey, Walter E.	1938-	Theoretical physics	In 1990 became second black person to direct the National Science Foundation.
Massie, Samuel Proctor	1919-	Organic chemistry	Became first black department chair at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977; in 1993 became first civilian and second African American to become an honorary member of the National Naval Officers Association.
McBay, Henry C.	1914-1995	Organic chemistry	Asked by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1951 to design a chemistry program in Liberia.
McNair, Ronald Erwin	1950-1986	Engineering physics	In 1984 orbited Earth 27 times in 8 days in the space shuttle Challenger, sampling gases and testing solar cells; died in the 1986 Challenger explosion.
Mickens, Ronald Elbert	1943-	Physics	Author of books on pure mathematics and biographies of African American women in the sciences.
Mitchell, Earl D.	1938-	Biochemistry	Studied the digestive functions of plants and animals.
Mitchell, James W.	1943-	Analytical chemistry	Percy L. Julian Award recipient in 1981; IR-100 awards for industrial research in 1982 and 1989; inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 1989.
Morrison, Harry L.	1932-	Theoretical physics	Helped found Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA), a program dedicated to preparing minority students for college science courses.
Murray, Sandra	1947-	Cell biology	Studied DNA and RNA and their effects on glandular cancer.
Nelson, Ivory V.	1934-	Analytical chemistry	Helped found the chemistry department at the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico.
Owens, Joan Murrell	1933-	Marine biology	Became first African American woman to earn a doctorate in geology in 1984.
Poindexter, Hildrus A.	1901-1987	Bacteriology	Traveled in Asia, North Africa, and the United States, studying tropical medicine and working for the U.S. Public Health Service.
Reed, Kennedy J.	1944-	Theoretical physics	Helped found the National Physical Science Consortium, which provides college fellowships to minority and female students.
Rouse, Carl A.	1926-	Astrophysics	Holds a patent for improved shields in nuclear power plants.
Scott, Juanita Simons	1936-	Developmental biology	Studied the effects of water pollution; assisted teachers of elementary- and middle-school students in teaching science.
Slaughter, John B.	1934-	Engineering physics	Became first black director of the National Science Foundation in 1980; named chancellor of the University of Maryland at College Park in 1982.
Stephens, Clarence F.	1917-	Mathematics	Ford Foundation Fellow at Princeton University during Albert Einstein's tenure there.
Stokes, Gerald V.	1943-	Microbiology	Researched vaccine to prevent chlamydia; the only African American to have taught basic graduate science at George Washington University.
Sullivan, Louis Wade	1933-	Physiology	Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President George Bush.
Taylor, Welton I.	1919-	Microbiology	In 1965 invented a procedure for detecting the bacteria that cause food poisoning, which became the standard required procedure for all foods by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Thompson, Emmanuel B.	1928-	Pharmacology	Researched drugs to control high blood pressure and sickle-cell anemia.
Tildon, J. Tyson	1931-	Biochemistry	Major authority on sudden infant death syndrome.
Tolbert, Margaret E. M.	1943-	Biochemistry	Served as the program director for the National Science Foundation's Research Improvement in Minority Institutions Program.
Turner, Charles Henry	1867-1923	Developmental biology	First scientist to notice ant circling pattern still known as "Turner Circling"; did all of his significant work with no government grants or outside funding, while he taught at Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
von Winbush, Samuel	1931-	Inorganic chemistry	Designed, with Victor Maroni, a metal extraction project that was named one of the 100 best inventions of 1986.
Washington, Warren M.	1936-	Meteorology, physics	Authority on global warming; became first black president of the American Meteorological Society in 1994; cofounded Black Environmental Science Trust (BEST), helping black scientists mentor black students of science.
Wiley, William R.	1932-	Microbiology, Biochemistry	Worked as a graduate student under Nobel Prize-winner Salvador Luria.
Wilkins, J. Ernest, Jr.	1923-	Theoretical physics	Received doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1942 at the age of 19; physicist on Manhattan Project during World War II; elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1976.
Williams, Theodore R., Jr.	1930-	Analytical chemistry	Helped pioneer a summer science camp for 7th-grade girls.
Williams, Willie, Jr.	1947-	Physics	Researched the use of light beams to transfer information in space.
Woods, Geraldine Pittman	1921-	Cell biology (embryology)	Helped found Head Start in 1965.
Wright, Jane C.	1919-	Chemistry, physiology	Became director of the Cancer Research Foundation in 1952; in 1967 appointed full professor of surgery and associate dean at New York Medical College, making her the most senior African American woman at a medical school.
Wyche, James Howard	1942-	Cell biology	Researched single-cell biology; head of many minority outreach efforts among the Ivy League universities.
Source: James H. Kessler, J. S. Kidd, Renee A. Kidd, Katherine A. Morin, Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century, 1996.

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