IN THE SCIENCES Mat Henson

WHILE the American Negro in the field of science has not yet produced an Agassiz, the Race has already developed two men far advanced along this path in the persons of Dr. Ernest R. Just, Head Professor of Physiology at Howard University and Dr. Chas. H. Turner, Professor of Biology at Howard University.

As the only magna cum laude man in his class of 1907, Dr. Just graduated from Dartmouth College, and in 1916 received his degree, Ph. D. from the University of Chicago in zoology and physiology. Among the many scientific subjects upon which he has written he has chiefly dwelt upon artificial parthenogenesis and fertilization. For ten years he has spent his summer vacations as a student in research work at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Wood’s Hole, Mass. On account of his minute scientific researches and conclusions he has been made a member in the Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa Societies, The American Society of Zoologists, the American Museum, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In order to further inspire Negro youths who plan to make this particular professional line their work, the writer will cite an incident that fully proves Dr. Just’s recognition and valuation in the world of science. During the summer of 1920, the highest scientific organ in the United States, The National Academy of Sciences, provided a grant to Dr. Just, through Howard University, to cover research work in the field of physiology. As this is the first grant of its kind not only to a Negro but to a member of any race, it further proves that hard study and sweaty work, bull dog grit and grip to never loose your hold, mule stubborness to brace your hind feet in holding your grounds and at the same time flopping your ears to all discouraging sounds, taking tortoise steps slow but always forward, while keeping an eagle eye on some chosen lofty peak, will finally result in any Colored person, although prejudiced handicapped, reaching the highest point in any noble calling.

Aside from the University of Chicago honoring him with the degree of Ph. D. in 1907, the world’s greatest scientists in America and Europe have weighed and found the full value of Dr. Chas. H. Turner as a Biologist of the first order in the special fields of neurology and comparative psychology.

Here and abroad scientific students and teachers alike constantly turn for information and references to his writings on the habits and manner of the Burrowing and Honey Bees, the Common Roach, the Mason Wasp, the Ant and several other species of larger sized and more advanced insect vertebrates. Some other of his research articles that have appeared in some of the best magazines of science are Morphology of the Nervous System of the Genus Cypris; Ecological Notes on the Cladocrea and Copspoda of Augusta; the Mushroom Bodies of the Crawfish, Morphology of the Avian Brain and other subjects along these lines. (Extracts from Southern Workman, July 1920 issue, pgs. 324-26).

Negro boys who read these pages will notice that just as it is the colored bees that are willing to drudge day after day in gathering and laying aside bits by bits of the sweetest thing on earth (honey) for future use; so has Dr. Turner (like all present and future youths must do if they wish to gain success in any calling) been willing to patiently and tirelessly plod ahead gathering and adding little by little of the greatest thing on earth (knowledge) to his store of wisdom. Today his research stack has piled up into such a vast heap that he is now able to scatter it into scientific pastures in such aways as to be of the most fertilizing values therein for the enriching of future young minds and for the growing of reputation and fame for himself.

The most original and beneficial researches and discoveries in the American Negro field of chemistry have been made by Prof. G. E. Carver, Director of Agricultural Research in Chemistry at Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Ala. Chief among his twenty and more discovered chemical products that are today being used as practical farm and household necessites are as follows: dressing for canvass shoes, made from Macon County clays; dyes made from dandelion, black oak, wood ashes, sweet gum, willow, swamp-maple, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, peanuts, sage, orange, muscatine grape, onions, velvet beans and tomato vines; cotton-stalk fibre for rope, cordage, mats and carpets; furniture stains made from native clays and vegetables; feathers for millinery purposes, secured from native wild and barn-yard fowls; laundry blues, 20 varieties; okra fibre for paper, rope, cordage, strawboard, matting and carpet; poplar bark for artificial ribbon; Tonic stock feed, made of snap corn, velvet beans, cotton-seed meal, and china berries, containing protein, 14.5 per cent., fats, 4.5;, crude fibre 12, and carbohydrates 52; Ultramarine Dyes, made from Macon County clays and used for cotton, wool, silk, and leather; White and Color Washes, made from clays; Wistaria for basketry work. One of his chemical products that attracted the widest attention was Prof. Carver’s Sweet Potatoes Flour that was successfully used during the World War by the Tuskegee Institute (which has a population around two thousand students and instructors) as a substitute for wheat flour. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, p. 42).

Quite a number of Colored men and women have graduated in chemistry and physics with high honors from some of the leading universities in America, and are today holding responsible and high salaried positions either as professors in colleges or as consulting chemists in private commercial corporations. Among such professors in colleges are St. Elmo Brady and E. Chandler who have attracted unusual attention to their chemical experiments and for their accurate conclusions have received their Ph. D. degrees from the University of Illinois. Dr. Brady is author of a book on chemistry.

For the past twenty-five years a Colored man by the name of O. W. Collins has been employed by the R. W. Hunt Bureau of Inspection, said to be the largest engineering corporation in America. Mr. Collins is an analytical and consulting chemist for that corporation.

Harry Keelan, a Harvard graduate, during the World War resigned a $300 a month position as consulting chemist in a New York white firm, in order to join some other Colored men in organizing a company for the manufacture of dyes. In this industry he was ably assisted by E. L. Davidson, another Harvard graduate, and the quality of their dyes was of such high grade and standard that their firm was unable to fill the rush orders for their products.

Miss Deborah Henderson graduated from the Central High School, Detroit, Mich., attending the Oberlin College where her scholastic achievements won her the much coveted “key”. Then entering the University of Chicago she attended there until her graduation as a ranking bacteriologist and chemical technician, as well as serving during her senior year as president of the Alpha Kappa Sorority. Miss Henderson is only one among numerous Colored women who have successfully invaded the highest chemical fields. After reaching that stage of advancement, they have experimentally as well as theoretically peeped and peered into many scientific secret lanes and avenues until they learned much of the hidden and inexhaustive mysteries therein. And with the proper encouragements, facilities and surroundings, it is not impossible for some American Colored women scientist some day becoming a second Madame Curie by finally discovering and giving to the world another hidden force of the elements, like Radium, that will greatly benefit humanity and add much to the store of man’s scientific knowledge.

The following quotation is part of an article that appeared in the April 9, 1921 issue of the Chicago Defender:

“In the various fields of learning the race has wrought and has its representatives; but not until now have we had a graduate doctor of metaphysics. The pioneer in this instance is Dr. Adene C. E. Minott, founder and head of the Clio School of Mental Sciences, Inc., 3543 State street, this city.

“While yet a girl in her teens, Miss Minott showed exceptional ability. She graduated first in her class from Grammar School No. 80, New York City, and won the prize for general excellence from her teacher, Miss Mary E. Eaton. Miss Minott then entered the Girl’s Technical High School of that city and, after receiving necessary academic counts, entered the Mac Donnall College of Phrenology and Psychology, Washington, D.C. Because she was a Race woman, she was not permitted to study with the regular classes, but forced to take the course by private instruction. Despite this disadvantage, Miss Minott completed the studies in one-half the regular time, graduated with honors and received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy.

“Returning to New York City, she next forced admittance into the world-famed American Institute of Anthropology, perfecting herself as a teacher in five branches of anthropology, as follows: Phrenology, physiognomy, practical psychology, physiology and anatomy of the brain. When she graduated from this institution, as a mark of distinction for an excellent record, she was presented with a membership medal and received the degree of Fellow of the American Institute of Anthropology, this making her the only Race woman in the United States to graduate from this institution or holding such a degree.

“Two years ago Prof. Minott began an intensive course in metaphysics and business psychology at the College of Metaphysics, St. Louis, Mo. She completed the courses and took the midwinter examinations recently, passing with honors and receiving the title and degree of Doctor of Metaphysics, being the first again of the Race to receive that degree in this country.

“The first years of Dr. Minott’s practice were confined to an exclusive clientele among the whites of New York City. Five years ago, however, she was prevailed upon to establish a branch of the Clio School of Mental Sciences in Chicago, and to centralize her efforts somewhat upon the developing and improving of her own people. This she did, and her efforts have met with enviable success and gratifying appreciation.”

Miss Minott’s unusually successful career proves that a Colored girl has the same brain power to reach the mental heights a white girl is able to attain, even when that Colored girl is given only half the encouragement, half the privileges and half access to the proper environments. It is true that all Colored girls cannot soar as high in education as Miss Minott, but all Colored girls can improve themselves from day to day if they will only decide to study. A cook can elevate herself to a hairdresser; a chambermaid can elevate herself to a dressmaker; a waitress can elevate herself to a stenographer and typewriter; a factory girl can elevate herself to a bookkeeper and a child’s nurse can elevate herself to a school teacher. But such girls cannot reach such successes if they go to ball rooms and cabarets to elevate their skirts instead of going to night schools to elevate their minds. It all depends upon each girl herself whether she will do drudgery work all her life or whether she will do it a few years as a stepping stone while she is preparing herself for something higher.

Colored cooks, waitresses, etc., who think it is no use to develop their minds, or study for more education just because they are Colored and will not get a chance to use such education, should remember that:

They would never have grape fruits, oranges or bananas to prepare and serve if those fruits refused to grow and develop because of their yellow skins; they would never have coffee to serve if it had refused to grow because it is brown; they would never have steak to broil and serve if yellow alderney or black holstein cattle had refused to develop from calves to cows because of their colors. Thus, if fruits, vegetables and dumb animals keep right on growing and developing into their fullest bloom of power and usefulness regardless of their colors; why should not Colored girls, who have brains to think, hands to work and God to guide them in right, do the same?