The PRESENT STATUS of CHEMISTRY in NEGRO COLLEGES HAROLD W. WOODSON' Wright Junior College, Chicago, Illinois
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N MANY aspects the growth and development of chemistry in Negro colleges has been phenomenal, c o n s i d e r i n g the relative short period of time for such Present address: 6113 Calumet Avenue, Chicago, IUinois.
a development. In 1916 there were twelve Negro institutions of higher learning2which increased to one hun,,Negro training facilitiesfor higher grade jobs,,, Mo, Labor Rev., 49, 629 (1939).
dred twenty-one institutions in 1936. Sixty were accredited by State Education Departments, regional accrediting bodies, or both. Sixty-nine colleges were fouryear institutions, seventeen were teacher training institutions, and thirty-five were junior colleges. Reference to the literatureS shows that educationally the Negro
has made enormous strides in chemistry. The first Ph.D. in chemistry conferred on a Negro was in 1916. Dr. St. Elmo Brady, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee, was the
Notwithstanding these facts there are many difficulties that confront the Negro contemplating a career in science. DuBoid4study of outstanding Negro scientists
gives a picture of men who have had the mental equipment requisite for scientific accomplishment and who have done work of a high order, but who never had the best facilities or even a good opportunity to accomplish
recipient. Since that time fourteen Negroes have received the doctorate in chemistry. TAI.LOWAY, "Opportunities for the Negro in chemistry,"
first-rate work opened to them. Another serious handicap to the Negro chemist is the limited opportunity for professional employment in chemical and allied industries. In a previous paper5 the author discussed under-
GREEN,"Sixty years of doctorates conferred upon Negroes." I. Negro Educ., 6,30-7 (1937).
DuBo~s,"The Negro scientist," Am. Scholar, 3, 309-20 (1939). WOODSON, "A survey of chemistry curricula in Negro colleges." I . Negro Educ., 8, 644-8 (1939).
Opporlunity, 15, 295-8 (1937). GEISER,"The Negro in American chemistry." ibid., 13,43-5 (1935).
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graduate curricula. The present paper describes the present status of undergraduate and graduate chemistry; training, number, and distribution of faculty members; faculty publications; and laboratory facilities. Data for this study were obtained by correspondence with department heads of chemistry, and by analysis of the catalogs and bulletins of thirty-eight Negro colleges. Colleges were selected from the following fifteen states and the District of Columbia: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Of thirty-seven of these institutions, nineteen have an enrolment of seven hundred or more, eight have an enrolment from four hundred to six hundred ninetynine, and ten have an enrolment of less than four hundred students. From a total of thirty-eight collegp: 30 colleges offer 2 semesters of general chemistry. 26 colleges offer 1 semester of qualitative analysis. 24 colleges offer 1 semester of quantitative analysis. 32 colleges offer 2 semesters of organic. 15 colleges offer 2 semesters of physical. 9 colleges offer 1 semester of food. 8 colleges offer 1 semester of biochemistry. Five different types of general chemistry are noted, although the assignment of students to different sections or courses on the basis of previous knowledge is practiced by less than five per cent. of the colleges studied. Other courses offeredare advanced qualitative and quantitative analysis, organic analysis, agricultural chemistry, teaching of chemistry, and history of chemistry. Harrow's' study of undergraduate "colleges with $2,000,000 endowment or over" included only two 6 WoODSON. I. Negro Educ., 8, 644-8 (1939). 7 HARROW, "Biochemistry offered in colleges other than uni14, 527 (1937). versities and medical schools." J. CHEM.EDUC.,
Negro institutions. Tuskegee Institute which offered biochemistry and food chemistry, and Hampton Institute which offered food chemistry. GRADUATE CHEMISTRY
There are three Negro universities that offer the Master's degree in chemistry. They are: Atlanta
University, Atlanta, Georgia, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee, and Howard University, Washington, D. C. Graduate work8has been offereda t Atlanta Uni-
versity since 1929, a t Howard University since 1927, and even earlier a t Fisk University. These universities are well equipped to train graduate students properly. Howard University's new chemistry buildinggwas formally opened on October 26,
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FUZIER."Graduate education in Neero calleees - and universities," J. N & ~ d u c . . 2, 32941 (1933).9 "The new chemical laboratory of Howard University," Ind. Eng. Chem.. News Ed., 15, 36 (1937).
1936. It is five stories high and, including the attic, accounts for approximately 1,000,000 cubic feet in capacity and a total floor space of more than 34,000 square feet. All the laboratories are provided with preTABLE 1
Colkges Studied ALABAMA
laboratories, research rooms, and private laboratories include, in addition to the above services, hot water, steam, direct current of 110 and 220 volts, battery currents from 2 to 120 volts in steps of 2, and variable high-frequency current of 500 to 10,000cycles. Atlanta 1Jniversitvlo has the facilitiesof the laboratories of Morehouse College and Spelman College, since on April 1, 1929 an arrangement was completed among Atlanta
The State Teachers College Talladega College ARXANSAS
Agricultural, Mechanicd, and Normal College Philander Smith College DISTRICT OI. COLUMBIA
Howard University Miner Teachers College
Atlanta Catholic Univerdty of America Chicago Colvmbin
FLORIDA
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College GEORGIA
Clark University Morehouse College Morris Brown College Paine College Soelman Calleee -
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XENrnCKY
Louisville Municipal College LOUISIANA
Dillard University Xavier University MARnAND
Morgan College
Har~ard Howard
Illinois Indiana Indiana Stat= Iowa State John. Hopkins Louisiana state McCiIl Michigan Minnesota New York Oberlin Ohio Pennrylvania Southern California Wittenberg colleges not named
MISSISSIPPI
Total
Alcarn Agricultural and Mechanical College Tougalao College MISSOURI
Lincoln University NORTH CAROLINA
Agricultural and Technical College Livingstone College Johnson C. Smith University OElO
Wilberforce University
University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College for the afiiliationaf the three iri$titutions in a university plan, the graduate work to be conducted by Atlanta University, the college work to be done by Morehouse College and Spelman College. Fisk University opened its new chemistry building in the fall of 1931. .. ..
' Colored Agricultural and Normal U*ersity OKLAHOMA
PENNSYLVANIA
Lincoln University SOUTR CAROLINA
Benedict College Claflin College State Agricultural and Mechanical College TENNESSEE
Fisk University Knoxville College LeMayne College Tennessee State TEXAS
Bishop College Samuel Huston College Wiley College VIRGINIA
Hampton Institute Virginia State WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia State
heated air ventilation, gas, water, air, and three-phase alternating current of 110 volts. The advanced general
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Total
36
1.83
here were two students registered for graduate work in chemistry a t Atlanta University" for 1938-1939. The average yearly registration of graduate students in chemistry a t Howard University for the last few years is about twelve, but the department graduates only two or three students yearly.'%
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lo Atlanta University Bulletin, Series 111, April, 1939. No. 26, p. 17. 11 Ibid., pp. 60-1. 12 ~ ~from D ~ J. . L.~shereshefsky, ~~~d ~ of Department of Chemistry. Howard University, Dec. 17. 1939.
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Although the number of graduates from these three institutions is small, they are of unusually high calibre. One of the recent graduates from Howard University is now on the research staff of McGill University, where he is holding the position of speciallecturer. Two other Howard graduates are holding Rosenwald Fellowships while pursuing work toward the doctorate a t outstanding educational institutions, and several are holding teaching positions in high schools and colleges. Out of a total of sixty-six Negro college chemistry faculty members, two hold Master's degrees from Atlanta University, one from Fisk University, and two from Howard University. THE FACULTIES
The success of graduate training not only depends on adeouate laboratorv and research facilities. but to a greater extent on the faculty members. The chemistry department of Atlanta University consists of two members, one of whom holds the Ph.D. degree from the University of Chicago, and one who holds the Master's degree from Columbia University with considerable graduate work above this degree. Fisk University has three members, two of whom hold the Ph.D. degree, one from the University of Illinois and one from Iowa State College. The other member holds the Master's degree from the University of Chicago. The chemistry department of Howard University consists of seven
members, five of whom are holding the Ph.D. degree from prominent institutions in this country, and two are holding the Master's degree. Of the latter one is now on leave, studying for his doctorate a t the California Institute of Technology. From a total of thirty-six Negro colleges there were thirteen instructors (about twenty per cent.) holding the Ph.D. degree, forty-three (about sixty-five per cent.) holding the Master's degree, and ten (about fifteen per cent.) with the Bachelor's degree. Many of the instructors have done considerable graduate work in advance of the highest degree reported. Table 2 shows the institutions a t which graduate degrees were earned by these instructors. A substantial majority of the doctorates a r r t warl~ed at America's outstanding uni\.ersities. l'ahlc 3 shows the d~stributionof chemistn instructors in thirty-six Negro colleges. Forty-seven per cent. of the colleges in this study had one instructor of chemistry. PUBLICATIONS
The teacher's success is to be determined by the efficiency of his teaching as well as his research work. The instructor in the Negro college is contributing results of his research in the recognized journals. The following bibliography is not complete, hut will give a representative survey of material recently published by the instructors.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLICATIONS
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BARNES,"Steric hindrance in alpha diketones: mesitylbenzyl- BLATT AND RUSSELL,"The action of alkali on acylated ketoximes. glyoxal." J , Am. Chem. Soc., 57,937 (1935). 111. Hydrogen bond formation in derivatives of the o-hyBARNES AND BLATT,"The action of alkali on certain acylated droxyhenzophenoneoximes," J.Am.Chem. Soc., 58, 1903(1936). ketoximes. I . The effect on structure and configuration," BLATT,"Hydroxy polyketones. 111. Benzoylformoin," ibid., ibid., 57, 1330 (1935). 58, 1894 (1936). BARNES AND LEWIS."The action of ethylhydroperoxide on alpha BLATT,"The alkylation of oxymethylene desoxybenzoin," ibid., diketonesmechanism." ibid., 58, 947 (1936). 60, 1164 (1938). .. , BARNES AND PAYTON, "Preparation ana properties of o-bromo- BLATT,"The chemical effects accompanying hydrogen bonding. phenylbenzyglyoxal-methylation of al~ha~diketones," ibid., I . Acyl derivatives of the 2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzophenone 58, 1300 (1936). aximes," Oid., 60,205 (1938). BARNES,"Shift in configuration of certain alphabenzyl mon- BLATT,"The formation of hydroxy beta-diketone acetates from mime henzoates," ibid., 60, 1082 (1938). bromo alpha-diketones," J. Wash. A d . Sci., 28, 1 (1938). BARNES,"Steric hindrance in alpha diketones. 11. Mesityl- ALLENAND BLATT.Cf., ''Organic chemistry, an advanced treabenzylglyoxal," ibid., 60, 1168 (1938). tise." Edited by GILMAN. Chapter VI, "Unsaturation and AND GREEN,"The preparation and properties of an eneBARNES conjugation." John Wiley & Sons. Inc., New York City, 1938, dial. Alpha-phenyl-beta-mesitoyl acetylene glycol," ibid., 60, pp. 542-608. 1549 (1938). BLATT,Book review of "Dictionary of organic compounds," BLATT,"The Beckmannrearrangement," Chem. Revinus, 12,215Volume 111, Ind. Eng. Ckem., N m s Ed., 16! 241 (1938). BLATT."A critical survey of the literature dealmg with the chemi60 (1933). BLATTAND BARNES,"The second order Beckmann rearrangecal constituents of cannabis sativa," J . Wash. Acad. Sci., 28, ment." J . Am. Chem. Soc., 56, 1148 (1934). 465 (1938). BLATTAND HAWKINS,rr3,5-Diphenyl-4-hydroxyi~~~~~~1ee" ibid.. BLATT."Stereoisomeric o-hydroxybenzophenone oximes." 3. Am 56, 2190 (1934). Chem. Soc., 61,214 (1939). BLATT,"The reaction between phenyldibenzoylethylene and BLATT,"The tautomerism of oximes," 3. Org. Ckem., 3,91(1938). hydro~ylamine hydrochlorid-a cyclic hydrmy nitrone," BRADY."Phytochemical study. Seed of the magnolia grandiibid., 56, 2774 (1934). flora." J. Am. Phnrm. Assoc., 27, 407-17 (1938). BLATT,"Hydroxy pdyketones. I . The alkylation of benzoyl- CALLOWAY, GILMAN,AND WERKHAN, "The germicidal action of formain," ibid., 57, 1103 (1935). n-alkylated fur& acids," Proc. Iowa Aced. Sci., 40, 81 (1933). BLATTAND HAWKINS, ''Hydroxy polyketones. 11. Dibenzoyl- CALLOWAY, "Condensation reactions of furfural and its derivacarbind," ibid., 58, 81 (1936). tives," Iowa State Coll. J. Sci., 9, 141-3 (1934). BLATT,"Hydroxy pyrrole nitrones. 11," ibid., 58, 590 (1936). CALLOWAY, "The Friedel-Crafts synthesis," Chem. Rcuinus, 17, BLATT,"The principle of vinylogy and the effect of ortho suhstitu327-92 (1935). ents on thereactivity of benzene derivatives," J. Org. Chem., 1 , CALLOWAY AND GREEN,"Reactions in the presence of metallic 154 (1936). halides. I . @-Unsaturatedketone formation as a side reacBLATT AND BARNES, "The action of alkali on acylated ketoximes. tion in Friedel-Crafts acylations," J. Am. Ckem. Soc., 59,80911. Steric hindrance to alkaline hydrolysis," J. Am. Chem. 11 (1937). Soc., 58, 1900 (1936). CALLOWAY, "Reactions in the presence of metallic halides. 11.
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The behavior of fluorides and the reactivity of the halogens,'' J. Am. Ckem. Soc.. 59, 1474-9 (1937). COOPERAND TULANE,"Action of 4-nitrocatechol as a titration indicator." I*. Eng. C h . , Anal. Ed., 8,210 (1936). COOPER,"2.4-Dlhydroxyacetophenone as a qualitative reagent for ferric iron," ibid., 9, 334 (1937). COOPERn m BARNES,"An improved Kurt Meyer titration," ibid., 10, 379 (1938). JONES,"Non-reaction of ethylene oxide and methanol," I . Am. Chem. Soc., 61, 527 (1939). JONES,"Kinetics of the pyrolysis of isobutyl iodide," ibid., 60, 1877 (1938). KNOX,"The construction of an inexpensive constant-temperature water bath for solubility measurements," J. C ~ M EDUC.,15, 3 4 3 4 (1938). MonnIs, "The balancing of oxidation-reduction equations," ibid., 15, 53840 (1938). SHERE~~E~S "The K Y ,corresponding state of maximum surface tension of saturated vapors," J. Phys. C h . , 34, 1947 (1930).
SHnassHE~snr.. 'Sur* trnsion of saturated vapors and the I., Phys. C h m . , 35, 1712 (1931). equation of E U ~ Y O F SHPRRSIILFSKY. "The e&t of s a u e o w solutions on colloidal - - ~ ~ powders," i b k , 36, 696 (1932). SHERESHEaspY, "The liquid-vapor interface," ibid., 36, 1271 ~~~
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SHERESHEPSKY AND STEWER, "A study of the evaporation of small droos and of the relationshio between surface tension and curvatur;," I . C h . Phys., 4 , 108 (1936). AND WEIR, "Adsorption of vapors on glass SHERESHEFSKY spheres. I. The adsorption of nitrogen," I . A n . Chem. Soc., 58. 2022 (1936). SHERESHEFSKY, "The new chemical laboratory of Howard Uni. versity." Ind. Eng. Chem., News Ed., 15, 36 (1937). ~%IERESHEFSKY, "Chemistry a t Howard," Howard Alumni lournal. 0. 6 (Sorina Issue. 1937). TuLANE (WI~KEE%ON AND TULANE), "The chemistry of human skin. 111. The occurrence of methionhe in human skin (stratum comeurn)," J. Bid. C h . . 129, 477 (1939).
