Percy Julian, the Black Chemist Scrubbed from History

S01E01 Percy Julian

For years, people tried to erase the legacy of Percy Julian. The Alabama-born chemist
faced multiple setbacks throughout his life due to his skin color. Even though his
pioneering work saved numerous people’s lives, Julian is still a relatively unknown
figure in US history.

Educated at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, in 1923 he became the first

African American to earn a master’s degree in chemistry from Harvard University.
However, Harvard refused to let him study for a PhD on racial grounds, so he
completed his doctorate in Vienna.

Julian then returned to the US and tried to pursue a career in academia, but again racial
prejudice stopped him from progressing. So he moved to the business world where he
pioneered new uses for soybean chemicals. One chemical helped produce fire-
retardant foam in fire extinguishers and saved the lives of thousands of soldiers during
the Second World War. He also found a way to create artificial hormones. Due to his
research, ludicrously expensive drugs suddenly became affordable for millions of
people.
Julian’s work meant he could move his family to a better-off suburb in Illinois, but they
were despised by many of their white neighbors. They faced several attacks – including
arson and someone firebombing their house – but Julian and his wife refused to move.
By the time he died from liver cancer, aged 76, he was a millionaire. [4]