Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899-April 19, 1975) was an American research chemist of international renown, and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs. During his lifetime he received more than 130 chemical patents. Julian's work eventually led to "The Birth Control Pill." His obituary was carried by the New York Times, on April 21, 1975. April 11 is the 101st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (102nd in leap years). ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Oral medication A medication is a licenced drug taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness or medical condition. ... Oral contraceptives are contraceptives which are taken orally and inhibit the bodys fertility by chemical means. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

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. from the University of Vienna in 1931. Julian and his wife, Anne, had a daughter, Faith. Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Montgomery Incorporated December 3, 1819 Mayor Bobby Bright Area    - City 404. ... Slave sale in Easton, Maryland The history of slavery in the United States began soon after Europeans first settled in what in 1776 became the United States. ... This school is not to be confused with DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, which has a similar pronunciation. ... Greencastle is a city located in Putnam County, Indiana. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... Harvard redirects here. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

Fresh with his doctorate, in natural products chemistry, he went to Howard University for one year and then taught organic chemistry at his alma mater, DePauw University, from 1932 to 1936. When he was denied a professorship at DePauw because of prejudice against blacks he unwittingly applied for a job at the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Wisconsin. However, the Wisconsin city of Appleton where the institute was located, had a law forbidding African Americans from staying overnight. W.J. O'Brien, a vice-president at the Glidden Paint Company in Chicago, Illinois took the gamble of offering the position of Director of Research, at the newly created Soy Products Division to Julian, who accepted. Howard University is an historically black university in Washington, D.C. Notable alumni include Toni Morrison, Thurgood Marshall, Ossie Davis, Debbie Allen, and Phylicia Rashad. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Appleton is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, on the Fox River, 100 miles (161 km) northwest of Milwaukee. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ...

Julian made his first major scientific contribution in 1935, when he synthesized physostigmine, the drug used in the treatment of glaucoma. During the next phase of his career, at Glidden, Julian isolated soy protein, on an industrial scale, that could replace milk casein in industrial applications such as coating and sizing of paper, in manufacture of paints and upon hydrolysis as a fire-extinguishing foam during WWII. "Aero-Foam", the soy protein based foam --the U.S. Navy's fire-fighting "bean soup"-- could smother oil and gasoline fires on board ships, especially aircraft carriers, before the flames could engulf and perhaps sink the ship. It saved the lives of countless thousands of American sailors. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Physostigmine is a parasympathomimetic, specifically, an irreversible cholinesterase inhibitor obtained from the Calabar bean. ... Soy protein is generally regarded as the storage protein held in discrete particles called protein bodies which are estimated to contain at least 60-70% of the total soybean protein. ... Casein is the predominant phosphoprotein found in fresh milk and also in cheese. ... Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction or process in which a molecule is split into two parts by reacting with a molecule of water, which has the chemical formula H2O. One of the parts gets an OH- from the water molecule and the other part gets an H+ from the water. ... Fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a device used to put out a fire, often in an emergency situation. ... Foam The most general definition of foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gas bubbles in a liquid or solid. ...

He also worked on biomedical projects, synthesizing the steroids: progesterone (a female hormone), estrogen, testosterone (a male hormone), and cortisone from plant sterols such as stigmasterol, isolated from soybean oil by a "foam" technique he invented. His work made possible the production of these hormones on a large industrial scale, thereby reducing the cost of treating hormonal deficiencies, arthritis, and other disorders. In 1947, the NAACP awarded him the Spingarn medal, its highest honour. Steroid skeleton. ... Progesterone is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy (supports gestation) and embryogenesis of humans and other species. ... A hormone (from Greek horman - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... Estriol. ... Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. ... Cortisone (IPA:ˈkôrtəˌsōn) is a steroid hormone. ... β-sitosterol Phytosterols (also called plant sterols) are a group of steroid alcohol, phytochemicals naturally occuring in plants. ... this is a very painful thing my name is lauren!!!!! haha muaha muaha muahaha Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation; plural: arthritides) is a group of conditions where there is damage caused to the joints of the body. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is one of the oldest and most influential hate organizations in the United States. ... The Spingarn Medal is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for outstanding achievement by a Black American. ...

Around 1950 Julian moved his family from Chicago to the suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, where the Julians were the first colored family. Although some residents welcomed them into the community, there was also widespread antipathy towards them. Their home was fire-bombed on Thanksgiving Day, 1950, before they moved in. After they moved to Oak Park, the house was attacked with dynamite on June 12,1951. The attacks galvanized the community and a community group was formed to support the Julians. In 1975, Percy L. Julian High School was opened on the southside of Chicago, IL as a Chicago Public High School. Also in 1983, Hawthorne School in Oak Park was renamed Percy Julian Middle School. Wrights home in Oak Park, Illinois Lake Theater and shops along Lake Street. ... For thanksgiving (lowercase t) as a religious or theological idea, see gratitude. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ...

In 1953, he founded his own research firm, Julian Laboratories, Inc. He sold the company in 1961, and in 1964, he founded Julian Associates and Julian Research Institute, which he managed for the rest of his life. 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973 in recognition of his scientific achievements. President Harding and the National Academy of Sciences at the White House, Washington, DC, April 1921 The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine. ...

References

• Perkowitz, Sidney. Universal Foam. Anchor Books, 2001

External links

• BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS,NAS
• Appleton,Wisconsin
• Percy Julian on blackinventor.com
• PBS Science Odyssey
• Percy Julian Middle School - bio on namesake
• NOVA - planned project on Percy Julian
• Engines of Ingenuity - No 659 - Percy Julian
• Percy Julian
• Percy Julian at Find-A-Grave