Historical Projects and Presentations Recommended by HIST Members
Underrepresented Minorities
- St. Elmo Brady — The First African American PhD Chemist
During Black History Month 2022, Dr Vera Mainz (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) celebrated St. Elmo Brady (1884 – 1966). He was the first African American to obtain a Ph.D. degree in chemistry in the United States; earning this degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1916. Brady went on to serve leadership roles at four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Tuskegee, Howard University, Fisk University, and Tougaloo College, where he helped build strong undergraduate curricula and founded graduate programs in chemistry.
During Black History Month 2022, Dr Vera Mainz (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) celebrated St. Elmo Brady (1884 – 1966). He was the first African American to obtain a Ph.D. degree in chemistry in the United States; earning this degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1916. Brady went on to serve leadership roles at four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Tuskegee, Howard University, Fisk University, and Tougaloo College, where he helped build strong undergraduate curricula and founded graduate programs in chemistry.