Past and Present: 6 Astounding Black Chemists You Should Know

tumblr_njb8mfgC5Q1tb0xp2o1_400Samuel Massie Jr. (July 3, 1919–May 9, 2005)

Massie attended Fisk University. He earned a master’s degree from the university and went on to earn a doctorate in organic chemistry from Iowa State University. Massie is a pioneer in this field because he was the first African-American to teach at a U.S. military academy. In 1966, he became a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he would become chairman of the chemistry department.