Dr. Percy Lavon Julian

Dr. Percy Lavon Julian rose to prominence in the field of organic chemistry as a research scientist. He founded a research firm,  Julian Laboratories, located in a Chicago suburb. An important contribution he made through his research was to advance the  synthesize of cortisone inexpensively. In addition, he was very active in social causes seeking to improve conditions for African Americans and helped to found the Legal Defense and Educational Fund of Chicago. Below are links to articles which detail the extraordinary accomplishments of Dr. Julian.

Links with more information

Depauw University, "The Life of Percy Julian '20"
https://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/22969/

This article, posted on the Depauw University website,  highlights the achievements of prominent alum, Percy Julien. In 1920 Percy Julian graduated from the University first in his class.

Percy Lavon Julian From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Lavon_Julian

Topic headings in this Wikipedia article include "Oak Park and Julian Laboratories" which describes Percy Julian's move to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park circa 1950.

Science History, Historical Profile
https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/percy-lavon-julian

The Historical Biography of Percy Julian posted on the Science History website describes how “The grandson of slaves, Julian overcame racial barriers to achieve scientific, business, and personal success.”

"Library kit to create programming that helps your community gain insight into Percy Julian’s life and how his science changed our world."
https://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/julian/media/lrk-complete.pdf