120 GREAT AFRICAN AMERICAN SCIENTISTS

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Medicine
1. He is the first university-trained black physician, who after completing studies in Holland, practiced medicine in the colony of New Amsterdam (New York). In 1667 he received a land grant for his services. Who was he?

2. In 1721 this Massachusetts slave encouraged inoculation against smallpox by injecting the disease itself, a method of vaccination that would later become standard practice. Who was he?

3. Who was the 18th century slave granted his freedom and a pension by the South Carolina General Assembly for his discovery of a cure for rattlesnake bites?

4. One of the most renown black doctors of the 18th century, this former slave practiced in New Orleans and earned nearly three thousand dollars a year; a very high annual income for the time. Who was he?

5. Who was the earliest known black pharmacist, whose prescription book dates from 1853?

6. A successful doctor, whose practice included both blacks and whites, he used scientific reasoning to counter racist notions that blacks where mentally inferior to whites. Who was he?

7. Who was the first black woman to be educated as a doctor in the United States?

8. Who was the first African American to receive a dental degree in the United States?

9. He performed the first surgery on the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart in 1893, and was the only black charter member of the American College of Surgeons. Who was he?

10. For 50 years she was Colorado's only black physician, delivering nearly 7,000 babies, and making all of her house calls by streetcar or taxicab. Who was she?

11. Who was the first African American to practice psychiatry?

12. Name the African American podiatrist who invented the "Tarsal Arch Support" in 1929?

13. Between 1876-1976 nearly half of the practicing African American doctors in the United States graduated from this medical college. What is the name of the college?

14. This doctor developed a test for the detection of syphilis that bears his name. Who is he?

15. He did extensive research into the use of antibiotic drugs and was the first black doctor on the staff of Harlem Hospital. Who was he?

16. He was an innovator of new dermatological techniques and did groundbreaking work in the treatment of leprosy. Who was he?

17. Name the black physician who did pioneering research in blood preservation and helped to establish the blood banks that saved countless lives during World War II.

18. She was the first black woman doctor to lead a team in open-heart surgery. Who was she?

19. She was the first woman, black or white, to head a university medical department. Who is she?

20. He developed techniques that gave doctors the ability to determine when the rejection of a transplanted organ begins, thus allowing them to appropriately administer anti- rejection drugs. Name this African American kidney specialist.

21. Name the study where researchers did experimental diagnostic research on 400 African American men with syphilis, never treating the disease or informing the men that they were infected.

22. Name the medical organization founded by black doctors in 1947 in response to the discriminatory membership practices of the then all-white American Medical Association.

23. He helped perfect the standard color plate of the anatomy of the human heart, and in 1956 created an organization called Imhotep for the purpose of eliminating segregation in hospitals. Who was he?

24. Though he had no formal medical training, his pioneering research developed the surgical procedure that saved countless "blue babies" - children born with a congenital heart malfunction that robs the blood of oxygen. Who was he?

25. A leader in the study of anticancer drugs, her work with tissue cultures enabled doctors to understand the effects of anti-cancer drugs and decide which ones worked best for each patient's cancer. Who is she?

26. In 1973 he became the first black otolaryngologist - ear, nose, and throat specialist. Who is he?

27. Who is the otolaryngologist who invented a delicate instrument that facilitated the approach to the pituitary glands?

28. At 33 he became director of the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and is renowned for successfully performing the intricate surgery that separated Siamese twins joined at the head.

29. Who is the African American opthamologist who revolutionized cataract surgery by inventing a laser device called the Laserphaco Probe to remove cataracts?

Inventors
30. This Alabama slave invented a cotton-cleaning machine around 1825. Who was he?

31. A tailor living in New York City, he became the first African American to receive a patent in 1821 for inventing a method for dry cleaning clothes. Who was he?

32. His invention of the seed-planter for corn and the seed- planter for cotton in 1834 sped up the planting process and reduced the amount of hand labor needed to sow crops. Who was he?

33. Name the slave inventor who in the 1850's developed a better propeller for river steamboats.

34. Who is the New England blacksmith that invented the toggle-harpoon, which became the standard harpoon for the whaling industry?

35. Who is the African American inventor who developed the vacuum evaporation method of refining sugar, that reduced the time, cost, and safety risk involved in producing sugar from cane and beets?

36. Name the mechanical engineer who invented the lubricating or "drip" cup, which made it possible to lubricate the moving parts of a machine while it was operating.

37. She received a patent in 1886 for inventing a folding cabinet bed. Who was she?

38. Who is the African American woman who invented the ironing board and received a patent in 1892?

39. He was on the only African American member of the Edison Pioneers. In 1882 he received a patent for an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments used in electric lamps and supervised the installation of electric lighting systems in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal and London. Who is he?

40. The Automatic Railroad Coupler, also know as the "Jenny" coupler was patented by an African American inventor in 1897. Who was he?

41. A restaurateur and businessman, he invented a bread- crumbling machine and the first bread-making machine. Who was he?

42. He was known as the "Black Edison" and invented the "third rail" used in subway systems throughout the world. A prolific inventor, he also invented am improved automatic air brake, a telegraph system for sending messages between moving trains, and an improved telephone transmitter. Who was he?

43. Patented in 1883, his shoe lasting machine made shoes 10 times faster and reduced the cost of producing shoes by half. Who was he?

44. Name the African American entrepreneur who developed a wooden handled metal hot comb and hair care products that revolutionized hair care for African American women.

45. Who was the African American inventor who improved traffic safety with the invention of the automatic traffic signal, and also invented a gas mask that was widely used by American firemen in the 1900's and by soldiers on the battlefields during World War I?

46. Granted more than 60 patents in the field of refrigeration, in 1935 he received a patent for the first automatic refrigeration system for long haul trucks that eliminated the problem of food spoilage in long distance shipping. He also developed an air conditioning unit for military field hospitals and a portable X-ray machine. Who was he?

47. An employee of Madame C. J. Walker's Manufacturing Company, she invented a permanent wave machine in 1928 that could wave the hair of both black and white women. Who was she?

48. Who was the African American inventor who received a patent in 1968 for the development of an air purification device that reduced gas and ash emissions from furnace and powerplant smokestacks?

49. He is the inventor of a variable resistor used in guided missiles and an electronic control unit for an artificial heart stimulator (pacemaker). Who was he?

50. He has received more than 40 patents for medical inventions including a computerized blood pressure machine, a refractometer, which measures sugar levels and protein in urine, and an intravenous pump used to measure and dispense exact dosages of prescribed drugs. Who is he?

51. In 1976 he invented a monitoring and energy conservation system called the "Occustat," designed to reduce the use of energy in temporarily vacant homes and schools. Who is he?

52. Who is the African American inventor who holds over 20 patents and created the popular toy, the Super Soaker water gun that has grossed over a million dollars in retail sales?

Mathematicians
53. By the time he was shipped to America as a slave in 1724 at the age of 14, he had already acquired the astounding ability to calculate numbers and mentally process other arithmetical operations. Who was he?

54. Name the mathematician, astronomer, and inventor who is best known as a surveyor of Washington DC.

55. In 1832, at the age of 14 he was appointed as an instructor at a New York school because of his mathematical ability. He would later become a famous abolitionist and the first principal of Philadelphia's Institute for Colored Youth, now known as Cheyney University. Who was he?

56. He was the first African American to study graduate mathematics at Johns Hopkins University, the first American university to have a post-graduate degree program in mathematics. Who was he?

57. In 1925 he became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, and possibly the world. He taught at Howard University from 1929-1961. Who was he?

58. In 1929 he became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics and the first to publish a paper in an accredited mathematics journal? Who was he?

59. At 22 he became the seventh African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics and is considered by many to be the greatest black mathematician. He in the first African American to be named to the National Academy of Science and in 1979 won the von Neumann Theory Prize. Who is he?

60. Who is the African American mathematician who received his doctorate at 19, worked on the Manhattan Project, and created the mathematics models by which the absorption of gamma rays by a given material can be calculated?

61. In 1949 she earned the distinction of becoming the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics, and as an Associate Professor at Fisk University she taught Vivienne Malone Mayes and Etta Zuber Falconer, who would become the sixth and seventh African American women to receive Ph.D.s. Who was she?

62. How many African American women earned Ph.D.s in mathematics from 1949 to 1969?

63. She earned her doctorate in mathematics in 1978, and in the year 2000 received the prestigious Arthur S. Fleming Award for a sustained record of contributions to mathematics and computers science. Who is she?

64. In June 1997 she became the first black to win a Sloan Research Fellowship, the most prestigious award for young mathematics researchers. She has been researching the spectral determinant of a drum, which is essentially the number obtained by multiplying all the individual sound pitches made for a drum note. Who is she?

Physicists
65. In 1878 he became the first African American and the sixth American of any race to earn a Ph.D. in Physics. Who is he?

66. Earning his Ph.D. in 1918, he became the second African American to hold a doctorate in Physics, and in 1919 co- authored a signal work that opened an entirely new field of research - the study of molecular structure through the use of infra-red spectroscopy.

67. He has worked nearly seven decades in the fields of magnetism and superconductivity and has been praised as one of the most eminent African American physicist in the United States. His research is included in many textbooks and his graph on paramagnetism has been a physics textbook standard for many years. Who is he?

68. This African American physicist has developed techniques and procedures for measuring thermal neutron fluxes, which is instrumental in protecting people from the hazards of ionizing radiation. Who is he?

69. A Renaissance man, who was a prolific inventor, an Olympic silver medal winner, and a businessman, he did groundbreaking work in the field of electrogasdynamics, whereby high voltage electricity is produced from flowing gas. Who is he?

70. In 1973 he became the world authority and received instant fame for his work on soft x-ray spectroscopy, which established the principal known as Allotey formalism. Who is he?

71. Who is the first African American woman to receive a doctorate in Physics?

72. He is the co-inventor of a laser device that helped hospitals throughout the world provide radiation therapy to cancer patients. Who is he?

73. He is the first African American to be Director of the National Science Foundation and is currently the President of Morehouse College? Who is he?

74. He plans and directs programs to accelerate the commercialization of newly developed solar techniques for the Department of Energy. Who is he?

75. Name the African American physicist whose work in semiconductors has led to the development of spectrometers for the detection of planetary life.

76. He has directed high energy physics at three governmental agencies and has been recognized for his contributions to physics education. Who is he?

77. In 1973 she became the second African American woman to receive a doctorate in physics and is a leader in the field of interactive physics - the study of the forces holding together the nucleus of an atom. She is currently the first African American President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Who is she?

NASA Astronauts
78. Who was the first African American to train as an astronaut?

79. Who was the first African American to be selected as an astronaut by NASA?

80. He was the first African American in space, traveling aboard the space shuttle Challenger as a mission specialist in August 1983. Who is he?

81. In 1978 he was one 35 candidates chosen from a pool of 10,000 for astronaut training. His career would end with the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986. Who was he?

82. Who was the first African American astronaut to command a space shuttle?

83. This African American astronaut was a member of the 1990 Discovery crew that deployed the Hubble Space telescope. Who is he?

84. This space shuttle astronaut was the first African American to walk in space. Who is he?

85. She holds a doctorate in medicine and was the first African American woman in space. Who is she?

86. Name of the African American astronaut, who along with Bernard Harris is currently active as a space shuttle mission specialist.

87. Who are two African Americans that are currently astronaut candidates?

NASA Scientists
88. She has calculated the trajectories for the missions that have made America the leader in space exploration in her 33-year career with NASA. Who is she?

89. Her work in energy research and management at NASA's Lewis Research Center has included developing the computer codes used in solar, wind, and other energy projects. She has also done studies to determine the life of storage batteries use in electric vehicles. Who is she?

90. This U.S. Air Force flight surgeon monitored astronaut John Glenn's vital signs as he orbited the earth in 1962. Who is he?

91. Who is the African American test engineer who helped to design and test the devices used by astronauts in zero gravity environments?

92. He developed the small rocket engines that would steer the lunar landing modules on Project Apollo missions. Who is he?

93. As director of psychophysiological research at NASA's Ames Research Center she developed ways to help astronauts avoid motions sickness using biofeedback, self-hypnosis, and desensitization. Who is she?

94. He has gained international recognition for his work focusing on ultraviolet observations of Earth's upper core and astronomical phenomena. He developed the ultraviolet camera that was carried to the moon by Apollo 16 astronauts in 1972, and was most recently involved in developing the instrumentation that captured an image of the Leonid meteor shower. Who is he?

Engineers
95. He started his own engineering firm and constructed major projects across the United States including the Tidal Basin bridge and seawall, and the Whitehurst freeway in Washington D.C. Who is he?

96. Name the African American engineer who designed the heating system for Radio City Music Hall and received 34 patents relating to the design, installation, testing and service of power plants, heating, and ventilation systems.

97. This African American engineer developed an automated piston pin inspection machine, which could clean the surface of automobile pistons to 1/10,000 of an inch and checked the surfaces with a magnetic pick-up. The device also checked whether or the not the piston had the proper hardness and the overlength and diameter of the grooves. Who is he?

Biologists
98. He joined the faculty of Howard University in 1907 and became known as a brilliant researcher and pioneer in the field of egg fertilization and the study of the cell. In 1915 this African American scientist received the NAACP's first Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement in marine biology. Who is he?

99. She was the first black woman to conduct and publish research in the field of zoology and made a significant contribution to the study of structures that control salt in Paramecium. Who was she?

100. This African American microbiologist coordinates microbial research for the U.S. Tank Automotive Command and is currently developing a fungicide that will protect storage materials, but will not be harmful to humans. Who is she?

101. In 1993 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the advancement of women and under- represented minorities in science, and is currently the President of California State University in Fullerton. Who is she?

102. Her research has advanced the understanding of what causes cancer in the blood and in 1996 she received the National Technical Association's Scientist of the Year Award in the field of cancer research. Name this African American microbiologist.

Chemists
103. He was the first African American to work as a chemist, serving as an assistant chief chemist for the Union Pacific Railroad after the Civil War. Who was he?

104. In 1916 he became the first African American to receive a doctorate in chemistry. Who is he?

105. Who was the African American chemist who is best known for developing a way to synthetically produce cortisone in large quantities and also did pioneering work in developing drugs from soybeans?

106. A pioneering industrial food chemist, he developed curing salts and a method of sterilizing spices that revolutionized the meat packing industry. Who was he?

107. This African American biochemist is a remote sensing scientist for Goddard Space Flight Center. He has been able to correlate acid-rain damage to the fluorescence spectrum of chlorophyll. Who is he?

108. He has spent nearly 30 years as a chemical engineer developing nuclear energy and is now involved in managing the radioactive waste that results from nuclear power generation. Who is he?

109. Her research at the National Institutes of Health is aimed at shedding light on how the human body defends itself against poison. Who is she?

110. Who is the nuclear chemist that as a member of the scientific team at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory discovered two new elements - Rutherfordium (element 104) and Hahnium (element 105)?

111. This chemical engineer has specialized in the development high energy fuels for rockets, supersonic combustion and solid rocket ignition. He holds a patent on the ignition of solid propellant rocket motors. Who is he?

112. A member of the team that developed a strategy for making oligosaccharides (links of simple sugar), his research could contribute to medical breakthroughs in the treatment of AIDS. Who is he?

113. As technical leader for nuclear chemistry research at the Department of Energy, he oversees and evaluates research in this area at the agency's national laboratories. Who is he?

114. He was the first African American to work for Bell Labs and co-invented a chemical additive that prevents the plastic coating on telecommunications cables from deteriorating, thus paving the way for universal telephone service. Who was he?

Computer Scientists
115. Who was the first African American to receive a degree in computer science?

116. His work helped to create the devices that store and retrieve data generated by computers. He is currently Apple Computer's vice president for peripherals engineering. Who is he?

117. He was the first African American to receive an IBM Fellowship and in 1999 lead the team that built a gigaherz (1000mhz) chip that performed a billion calculations per second. Who is he?

118. In 1989 he was awarded the Gordon Bell prize for designing "The Connection Machine," the fastest computer on earth that can perform 3.1 billion calculations per second. Who is he?

119. Who is the African American computer scientist who co- founder and serves as chief scientist for the company Silicon Graphics, a leader in the development of 3-D computer graphics?

Telecommunications
120. He lead the team of engineers that developed the Tactical Optical Fiber Connector (TOFC), the first fiber optic cable actually deployed under battlefield conditions. TOFC was used during the Gulf War to transmit firing signals to the Patriot missile. Who is he?


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