Contents
Percy Julian
Synthesising medicinal compounds and developing industrial chemistry from soybeans.
Physostigmine synthesis · Steroid chemistry
- Born
- 11 April 1899
- Birthplace
- Montgomery, Alabama, United States
- Died
- 19 April 1975
More people
Percy Julian
Percy Julian was an American chemist who developed routes to important medicinal compounds. He built a major industrial research career after racial discrimination repeatedly obstructed academic opportunities.
Early life
Segregated education
Had limited school opportunities in Alabama and completed extra preparation at DePauw.
Academic distinction
Graduated from DePauw as class valedictorian in 1920.
Career
- 1920–1931
Teaching and further study
Taught at Fisk and studied at Harvard and Vienna.
- 1932–1935
DePauw research
Returned to DePauw and conducted synthetic chemistry research.
- 1936–1953
Industrial research
Directed soybean research at Glidden.
- 1953
Independent laboratory
Established Julian Laboratories.
Contributions
Physostigmine synthesis
With Josef Pikl, synthesised the compound used in glaucoma treatment.
Soybean chemistry
Developed industrial products and routes to steroid compounds from plant materials.
Beyond the lab
Civil rights
Spoke against racial discrimination and supported human-rights causes.
Scientific recognition
Was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Chemical landmark and life ↗Photo: Anonymous Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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