Marie M. Daly America's first Black woman to receive a PhD in Chemistry
Blazing the way for scientists of color and helping us better understand cholesterol.
Marie Maynard Daly blazed a path for scientists of color when socio-economic and racial barriers prevented many Black scientists from pursuing science. She was the first Black woman to obtain a doctorate in chemistry.
Marie's love of science came from her father, who was pursuing a degree in Chemistry from Cornell college but, due to economic circumstances, was forced to drop out. She was also an avid reader and was fascinated by Paul De Kruif's famous book The Microbe Hunters. Marie was bright, but she came from an economically disadvantaged background. Marie did not allow her economic situation to deter her.
Marie's love of science and ambition to become a chemist was encouraged at a young age by her teachers at Hunter College High School, an all-female institution. After graduating from Hunter College High School, Marie enrolled in Queens College in Flushing, New York, as a commuter student. Marie graduated magna cum laude in 1942 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry.
Marie obtained her master's degree at New York University after Queens college offered her a fellowship to pursue graduate studies. The fellowship, combined with her part-time work as a laboratory assistant, allowed her to afford higher education and complete her master's degree.
Marie enrolled at Columbia University's graduate program after working for a year tutoring Queens College students in chemistry. Under Mary L. Caldwell's guidance, Marie's graduate work focused on how compounds produced in the body affect and participate in indigestion. Her dissertation title was "A Study of the Products Formed by the Action of Pancreatic Amylase on Corn Starch."
Marie graduated from her Ph.D. program in 1947. After three years of study, she became the first Black woman to obtain her doctorate in Chemistry.
After graduating from Columbia, Marie taught for two years at Howard University. In 1948 Marie received a grant from the American Cancer Society to support a seven-year research project on the composition and metabolism of the cell nucleus components, or in plain speak, how proteins are constructed in the body.
Marie conducted her research on the body with Alfred E. Mirsky, a pioneer in molecular biology, at the Rockefeller Institute in New York.,
Marie's research helped scientists better understand the relationships between high cholesterol and clogged arteries and increased our understanding of how diet affects the heart and circulatory system's health.
In addition to her research, Marie was a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion and became an advocate for students of color in medical and graduate science programs. In 1988 she established a scholarship fund for Black science students at Queens College in honor of her father.
If you want to learn more about Marie M. Maynard and her groundbreaking work which helps us understand the body today, you can read more here.
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