1. Alice Ball (1892-1916), a chemist who created the first effective treatment for leprosy when she was only 23.
2. Annie Easley (1933-2011), a rocket scientist who developed software for Centaur, one of NASA's most important high-energy rocket launchers.
3. Mamie Phipps Clark (1917-1983), a social psychologist whose research on black children's self-image was instrumental in establishing the harm of segregated schools during Brown v. Board of Education.
4. Mae Jemison (1956-present), a physician, engineer, AND astronaut who was the first black woman to travel to space.
5. Valerie Thomas (1943-present), a scientist who invented the Illusion Transmitter, a device that used concave mirrors to project 3D optical illusions.
6. Jane Wright (1919-2013), an oncologist who was instrumental in developing cancer treatments.
7. Marie M. Daly (1921-2003), a chemist whose research on the link between high cholesterol and clogged arteries was vital to understanding heart attacks.
8. Bessie Blount Griffen (1914-2009), a physical therapist and forensic scientist who invented a device that helped people who had lost limbs to feed themselves.
9. Jeanne Spurlock (1921-1999), a psychiatrist who was largely responsible for bringing awareness of the effects of poverty, racism, sexism on health to the medical community.
10. Katherine Johnson (1918-present), a physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectories for many NASA missions and was instrumental in launching the first American into space.
11. Flemmie Pansy Kittrell (1904-1980), an internationally-renowned nutritionist who changed how we view child development.
12. Gloria Twine Chisum (1930-present), an experimental psychologist whose research led to protective goggles that automatically darken for pilots.
13. Ruth Winifred Howard (1900-1997), a psychologist who was the first person to publish a study on triplets from a range of different ages and ethnicities.
14. Jewel Plummer Cobb (1924-2017), a biologist who worked to discover which compounds were the most damaging to cancer cells.
15. Margaret James Strickland Collins (1922-1996), a field biologist who contributed over five decades of research to termite zoology.
16. Patricia Suzanne Cowings (1948-present), a research psychologist who developed trainings for NASA astronauts to minimize the effects of space motion sickness.
17. Christine Concile Mann Darden (1942-present), an aerospace engineer who led NASA's Sonic Boom Group.
18. Betty Harris (1940-present), a chemist who patented a test that identifies explosives.
19. Jessie Isabelle Price (1930-2015), a veterinary microbiologist who developed vaccinations to protect waterfowl from disease.
Let's take a second to appreciate just how pure this is: Jessie Isabelle Price decided to use her brilliant brain to save ducks. This was no small accomplishment โ her treatment saved the duck industry an estimated $250,000 during a time when farmers were losing about 30 percent of their water fowl each year because of disease. Thank you, Jessie. ๐ค
20. Gladys W. Royal (1926-2002), a biochemist who researched bone marrow transplants as a treatment for radiation.
21. Shirley Ann Jackson (1946-present), a prominent theoretical physicist who served as chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
22. Joan Murrell Owens (1933-2011), a marine biologist who completely redefined how button corals (a large, solitary coral) are classified.
23. Patricia Bath (1942-present), who invented the Laserphaco Probe, a device that improved treatment for cataract patients.
๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ THANKS Y'ALL ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ
Unless otherwise noted, all stories are sourced from Black Women Scientists In The United States by Wini Warren.
CORRECTION
Ruth Winifred Howard was a psychologist who published a study on triplets. An earlier version of this post misstated her name. H/T to @FeministVoices for pointing this out!
CORRECTION
Bessie Blount Griffen was born in 1914. An earlier version of this post misstated the year. H/T to @Flickanelde for pointing this out!
CORRECTION
Jessie Isabelle Price died in 2015. An earlier version of this post incorrectly said she was still alive and also misspelled her surname.