Notes

Percy Lavon Julian
-born in Montgomery, Alabama, on April 11, 1899
-liberal arts school in Indiana
-expert in synthesis
-he landed a job as Director of Research at the Glidden Company in 1936.
-eventually developed a process for converting stigmasterol into progesterone
-progesterone is used to decrease the risk for uterine cancer
Timeline
1899—Born in Montgomery, Alabama on April 11.
1920—Graduates first in his class from DePauw University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry.
1923—Earns master's degree in chemistry from Harvard University.
1928—Heads chemistry department at Howard University.
1931—Awarded Ph.D. from the University of Vienna, where he begins his work with plant compounds.
1932—Returns to teach at DePauw University.
1935—Succeeds in producing synthetic physostigmine, which leads to a glaucoma drug. Marries Anna Johnson, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in sociology in the U.S.
1936—Begins working at the Glidden Company. 1939 Succeeds in producing progesterone on an industrial scale.
1940—Son Percy Jr. is born.
1942—Extracts a soybean protein that leads to the development of a fire-retardant foam that saves thousands of soldiers' lives in World War II
1944—Daughter Faith is born.
1947—Receives the Spingarn Medal from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
1949—Synthesizes Compound S, a major ingredient in low-cost cortisone.
1950—Named Chicagoan of the Year.
1951—Moves to Oak Park, Illinois, where his family's home is firebombed.
1953—Founds Julian Laboratories
1961—Sells the company for $2.3 million.
1960s and 1970s—Works with civil rights groups to fight discrimination.
1973—Elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
1975—Dies on April 19.
1993—U.S. Postal Service issues stamp in his honor.
1999—Julian's work recognized as a National Landmark by the American Chemical Society