guy
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Free NOVA episode on Percy Julian
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/julian/program.html
Wiki:
Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975) was an American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs
from plants. He was the first to synthesize the natural product physostigmine, and his chemical synthesis of human steroids from plant steroid
precursors would lay the foundation for the first birth control pill and cortisone. He later started his own company synthesizing steroid
intermediates from the Mexican yam. His work helped reduce the cost of steroid intermediates to large multinational pharmaceutical companies.[1]
During his lifetime he received more than 130 chemical patents. Julian was the third African American to receive a doctorate in chemistry. He was the
first African American chemist inducted into the National Academy of Sciences, and the second African American scientist inducted from any field.[1]
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Mr. Wizard
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Is this interesting to you because of the subject of his research or because he was black?
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guy
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His research was very interesting. It's also pretty amazing how he succeeded being black.
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