JOHN B. SLAUGHTER
JOHN B. SLAUGHTER (1934– ), a computer scientist, is president of Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. He has served as chancellor of the University of Maryland and as director of the National Science Foundation. Dr. Slaughter is best known for his work on the development of computer algorithms for system optimization and discrete signal processing, with emphasis on application to ocean and environmental system problems. He is the recipient of 21 honorary degrees, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association of Science, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He was the first person to be honored as the Black Engineer of the Year. He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering in 1982.
HERBERT C. SCURLOCK
HERBERT C. SCURLOCK (1875–1952) was a biochemist who pioneered the application of radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer and the use of x-ray to diagnose dental problems. He was a professor of physiological chemistry. Dr. Scurlock’s Textbook on Quantitative Chemical Analysis, published in 1915, is available as a reference at the Library of Congress.
VIVIAN W. PINN
VIVIAN W. PINN is the first full-time Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an appointment she has held since 1991. In 1994, she was also named Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health (NIH). She came to the NIH from Howard University College of Medicine where she had been Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology since 1982. In this position, she became the third woman to chair an academic department of Pathology in the U.S. She had previously held appointments at Tufts University and Harvard Medical School. She earned her B.A. from Wellesley College and received her M.D. from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She also served as the 88th President of the National Medical Association (and second woman president) during 1989-1990.
SAMUEL M. NABRIT
SAMUEL M. NABRIT (1905– ) is a biologist with a long and distinguished career in science education. Dr. Nabrit currently directs the National Fellowships Fund of the Council of Southern Universities, which supports approximately 560 African Americans earning doctoral degrees that will lead to careers in higher education. As an educator, Dr. Nabrit served Atlanta University for 23 years as a professor of biology and dean, and he was the second president of Texas Southern University in Houston. Dr. Nabrit has also served as president of the National Institute of Science (1945) and as a member of the National Science Board (1956) and the Atomic Energy Commission (1966). Dr. Nabrit is a founding member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine.
GARRETT AUGUSTUS MORGAN, Sr.
GARRETT AUGUSTUS MORGAN, Sr. (1877–1963) was the son of former slaves and devoted his life to creating items that made the lives of common people safer and more convenient. Firefighters in many cities in the early 1900s wore the safety helmet and gas mask that Mr. Morgan invented and for which he was awarded a gold medal at the Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New York in 1914. The gas mask Morgan invented in 1912 (patent no. 1,113,675) was also used during World War I to protect soldiers from chlorine gas. In 1916, Mr. Morgan made national news for using his gas mask to rescue several men trapped by a gas explosion in a tunnel being constructed under Lake Erie. Mr. Morgan was honored with two gold medals for his heroic efforts. His automated traffic signal (patent no. 1,475,024 ) featured a third position that halted traffic in all directions between Stop and Go. These signals were the basis for modern traffic signal systems and remained in use until they were replaced with the light signal devices used today.
SAMUEL P. MASSIE
SAMUEL P. MASSIE (1919– ) is professor of chemistry (emeritus) at the U.S. Naval Academy where he served on the faculty from 1966 to 1994. In 1994 the U.S. Department of Energy joined AIME, a coalition of Fortune 100 companies, in establishing a Samuel P. Massie Chair of Excellence in Environmental Sciences at each of the ten historically black college and university engineering schools. As widely recognized for his efforts to encourage young people in the sciences as for his scientific achievement, in March 1996 the American Chemical Society awarded him the Dreyfuss Award for his work in developing future careers in chemistry. His 1954 Chemical Reviews article, "The Chemistry of Phenothiazine," is considered a classic in the field. Dr. Massie is currently vice president of Bingwa Software Company, which develops curricula using multicultural models.
CORA BAGLEY MARRETT
CORA BAGLEY MARRETT (1942– ) is a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin, where she has held tenure since 1974. Her masters and Ph.D. degrees were earned at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. From 1992 to 1996 she was assistant director for social, behavioral, and economic sciences at the National Science Foundation. She was also appointed to the Board of Governors of the Argonne National Laboratory to serve from 1996 to 1998 and is a member of a peer-review oversight group for the National Institutes of Health serving from 1996 to 1998.
LaSALLE D. LEFFALL, JR.
LaSALLE D. LEFFALL, JR. (1930– ), is professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Howard University. A noted surgeon and oncologist, he has served as president of several national organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Society of Surgical Chairmen. His other positions of national prominence include membership on the National Cancer Advisory Board and the American Board of Surgery. In 1983 Dr. Leffall became secretary of the American College of Surgeons. Among his numerous honors are the Presidential Award from the D.C. Chapter, American College of Surgeons; the James Ewing Medal of the Society of Surgical Oncology; the Charles R. Drew Medal, Drew Postgraduate Medical School; and four honorary degrees. In 1973 Dr. Leffall was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine.
ERNEST E. JUST
ERNEST E. JUST (1883–1941) was a marine biologist. In 1909 Dr. Just began his research on the embryological resources of marine animals at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. His study of the process of fertilization in marine invertebrates and of the fundamental role of the cell surface in the development of organisms made him a leading authority on marine biology. A professor of zoology, Dr. Just wrote extensively in his field. Two outstanding works are Basic Methods for Experiments on Eggs of Marine Animals and The Biology of the Cell Surface, both published in 1939.
PERCY L. JULIAN
PERCY L. JULIAN (1899–1975) was a research chemist whose trail-blazing research in uses for soybeans resulted in the development of a multiplicity of new products, the most important of which are low-cost drugs and hormones. He devised an inexpensive cortisone, used in the treatment of arthritis, from soybean sterols. His research led to the manufacture in quantity of the hormones testosterone and progesterone. Among his many "firsts" in the field of steroids was his synthesis of the drug physostigmine, used to treat glaucoma. Dr. Julian was a member of the National Academy of Sciences.