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Percy Lavon Julian

Percy Lavon Julian. 1899-1975 By Casey Comer. Early Life. Born April 11 th , 1899 in Montgomery Alabama Grandson to former slaves Was only able to attend School to the eighth grade. School Career. He was only allowed to take classes to the eighth grade He applied to DePauw University

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Percy Lavon Julian

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  1. Percy Lavon Julian 1899-1975 By Casey Comer

  2. Early Life Born April 11th, 1899 in Montgomery Alabama Grandson to former slaves Was only able to attend School to the eighth grade

  3. School Career • He was only allowed to take classes to the eighth grade • He applied to DePauw University • He had to take remedial high school classes to get caught up • He graduated valedictorian of his class • After college he accepted a position as a chemistry instructor at Fisk University • He left Fisk after receiving a scholarship to attend Harvard to finish his masters degree

  4. Academia He completed his masters at Harvard, however the university would not let him pursue a doctorate He eventually achieved his doctorate from the University of Vienna in Austria With his doctorate in hand he returned to DePauw to continue his research While at DePauw he discovered a treatment for Glaucoma using synthesized physostigmine

  5. Some Links • http://www.depauw.edu/ • http://www.harvard.edu/ • http://www.univie.ac.at/en/

  6. After Academia Even though his discovery brought national acclaim the university refused to make him a professor because of his race He applied at several chemical companies but was also refused because of his race Eventually he was given a job at the Glidden Company where he discovered Aero-Foam which was used during WWII to put out oil fires http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/glidden.php

  7. After Academia Cont. • While at Glidden he also discovered the method for manufacture of synthetic hormones from Soybeans he also patented a method for Extraction of cortisone and hydrocortisone from soybeans

  8. Julian Laboratories Percy left Glidden in 1954 to found his own research laboratory He faced racial discrimination in the formed of denied loans He built his lab in Oak Park Illinois, his family also made their home there, they were the first black family to live there, and sadly their home was firebombed twice He eventually sold his laboratories in 1961 and become one of the first Black millionaires of the time.

  9. Recognition and Death • He was the first black scientist elected to National Academy of the Sciences • His synthesis of physostigmine was recognized by the American Chemical Society as one of the top 25 discoveries of American Chemistry • He Died of Liver Cancer on April 19, 1975

  10. Nova Special • Link the first part of the Nova Special http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuF7ss-r-m4 7:41 • Link to the Second part of the nova special http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cocbuz31ZI 8:12

  11. Discussion Questions Can you imagine and describe the problems with being a scientist of diversity during this time period? Do you think that it was hard to get the patents needed during this time? Had any of you heard of Percy Julian before today or of his discoveries?

  12. Sources A Science Odyssey People and discoveries http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bmjuli.html Percy Lavon Julian Biography http://www.biography.com/people/percy-julian-9359018 Giants of the Past Percy Lavon Julian http://lipidlibrary.aocs.org/history/Julian/index.htm

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