Science
1914 – 1995
Initially planning to enter medical school, Henry McBay decided instead to study chemistry, earning a B.S. degree in 1934 from Wiley University, a master’s degree from Atlanta University in 1936, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1945. McBay was long a professor of chemistry at Morehouse College in Atlanta, serving from 1960 to 1981 as Chair of the department.
McBay’s research with acetyl peroxide?with which many other scientists refused to work because of its volatile nature?led to the synthesis of a hormone used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Also influential in the classroom, 45 of McBay’s students earned a Ph.D. in chemistry.
Science
His experiments with dogs and cats revealed that injections of vitamin C could cause tumors, epilepsy and some allergies.
Science
St. Elmo Brady was born on December 22, 1884 in Louisville, Kentucky. He received a Bachelor of Science from Fisk University in 1908 and a Master of Science in Chemistry in 1914 from University of Illinois. St. Elmo Brady earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1916, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Dr. Brady served as a Professor of Chemistry at Howard University and as Professor of Chemistry and Head of the Chemistry Department at Fisk University.
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Walter S. McAfee participated in an U.S. Army Program in the 1940’s created to determine whether a high frequency radio signal could penetrate the earth’s outer atmosphere. McAfee made the necessary calculations and on January 10, 1946 the team sent a radar pulse through a special 40-feet square antenna towards the moon. Two seconds later, they received a faint signal. While official news of this scientific breakthrough did not include McAfee’s name, Americans could not have walked on the moon had it not been for Walter McAfee and his calculations.
Science
1867 – 1923
Although he held a doctorate from the University of Chicago, zoologist Charles Henry Turner chose to teach at high schools so he could devote more time to the observation of insects. His research had lasting impact. Turner published several articles in scientific journals, including “Habits of Mound-Building Ants,” “Experiments on the Color Vision of the Honeybee,” “Hunting Habits of an American Sand Wasp,” and “Psychological Notes on the Gallery Spider.” In his research, Turner became the first person to prove that insects can hear and can distinguish pitch. In addition, he first discovered that cockroaches can learn by trial and error.
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Born: 1/17/1924
Birthplace: Chicago, Ill.
Jewel Plummer Cobb has had wide-ranging influence in the sciences. Awarded a Ph.D. in cell physiology from New York University in 1950, she has served as a researcher, a college professor and administrator, as well as a staunch supporter for greater minority participation in scientific careers. Much of Cobb’s research has been focused on the skin pigment melanin, and her most significant research has been with testing new chemotherapeutic drugs in cancer cells, the impact of which continues. She has held several teaching and administrative positions at major universities. From 1960 to 1969, she was a professor at Sarah Lawrence College. From 1969 to 1976 she served as Dean and Professor of Zoology at Connecticut College. From 1976 to 1981, Cobb served as Dean and Professor of Biology at Douglass College, the women’s college at Rutgers University. From 1981 to 1990 Cobb was President of California State University at Fullerton where she spearheaded efforts to increase the quality and diversity of both the student population and the faculty. A supporter of equal access to educational and professional opportunity, Cobb has written often about racial and sexual discrimination in the sciences, and has raised funds to allow more minorities to enter into the field. Since her retirement, Cobb, who was named President and Professor of Biological Science, Emerita at California State University at Fullerton and Trustee Professor at California State University at Los Angeles, has continued her research.
