120
GREAT AFRICAN AMERICAN SCIENTISTS

If you need help with a trivia question, there is a link to the answers
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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?
ANSWERS
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