Percy Julian

Julian, Percy Lavon (1899-1975), African American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of drugs used in medicine. Julian was born in Montgomery, Alabama, the son of a railway clerk and the grandson of a slave. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, in 1920 and received a M.S. degree from Harvard University in 1923 and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Vienna in 1931. He taught chemistry at several universities and conducted research for private industries for many years before founding his own research firm, Julian Laboratories, Inc., in 1953.

Julian made his first major scientific contribution in 1935, when he synthesized physostigmine, the drug used in the treatment of glaucoma. Later in his career, Julian developed a soybean protein to be used as a coating for paper and as an ingredient in fire-extinguisher foam. He also worked on biomedical projects, developing steroids from the soybean and synthesizing progesterone (female hormone), testosterone (male hormone), and cortisone. His work made possible the production of these drugs in large quantities, reducing the cost of treating hormonal deficiencies, arthritis, and other disorders. In 1947 the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) awarded him the Spingarn medal, its highest honor.
Julian sold his company in 1961, and in 1964 he founded Julian Associates and Julian Research Institute, which he managed for the rest of his life. He was eventually elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his scientific achievements.