Brady, St. Elmo

Impact on the world

Became the first Black American to earn a chemistry doctorate, then built the nation's first graduate chemistry program at a historically Black college at Fisk University, going on to establish strong chemistry programs at three more HBCUs; received a National Historic Chemical Landmark designation from the ACS in 2019.

Life & background

After earning his bachelor's degree at Fisk University, Brady became the first African American to earn a PhD in chemistry in the U.S., graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1916. He went on to teach and hold leadership roles at Tuskegee Institute, Howard University, Fisk University, and Tougaloo College, founding the nation's first graduate-level chemistry program at a historically Black college at Fisk and building rigorous chemistry curricula at each institution he served.

Sources

1. American Chemical Society; C&EN (9 Black Chemists You Should Know About)