Alice Ball (1892 - 1916)
African American chemist who developed
an effective treatment for leprosy;
the University of Hawaii's first female and first African American
recipient of a Master's degree, and chemistry professor;
following her untimely death at 24, her original work and
discoveries regarding leprosy treatment were appropriated by
a high-ranking male colleague and passed off as his own accomplishments;
the truth was not discovered by historians until the 1990s,
following which many honours were belatedly extended to her.
Better late than never, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea. Thank you for the history lesson today.
ReplyDeleteWhoa
ReplyDeleteShe passed away at 24??
And of course a male appropriated her findings...
XOXO
😳 As you so often do to me..."made ya look!" Thank you for starting me looking for more. The thief who stole Ball's valor wasn't just a colleague. Arthur L. Dean was Ball's graduate advisor; later Dean of Sciences; eventually President of the University! Dean's theft was actually first revealed in a journal article by another colleague, Dr. Harry Holman, in 1922. And the theft didn't keep Arthur Dean from becoming the university president or from having the sciences building named for him...Dean Hall. Student groups have spent years demanding the building be changed to Ball Hall and it hasn't happened. Amazing how college politics can be so rigid that a man who was proven guilty of not just plagiarism, but disgraceful academic robbery, gets to retain an honor he did not fully earn! Great message considering the student code specifically proscribes such behavior! 🤬
ReplyDeleteThough I didn't remember the name, I did read about her in I believe the epilogue of the 1937 book Damien the Leper (about the 19th century priest who contracted the disease in a Hawaiin leper colony), written by, of all people, Hollywood director and screenwriter John Farrow (Mia's father.) Unfortunately, Alice Ball didn't come up with the treatment until after poor Damien died (in fact, she hadn't even been born yet) but I'm sure she's helped countless people since.
ReplyDeleteWhat a loss to die so young. How absolutely NOT surprising that a man took credit for her work...
ReplyDelete