Percy Julian

pj Mike Reszkowski Percy Julian Percy Julian, the forgotten genius, was one of the greatest chemists in the United States. He became a very successful and wealthy mortal despite his poor family and childhood. His discoveries and gos are huge contri just nowions to American lives flat still today. His ability to exceed difficulties and work hard in the toughest situations is what makes him a person we should all aspire to be. Julian was one of very a few(prenominal) African American chemists, which do it even harder for him to succeed.Born in Montgomery, Alabama on April 11th, 1899, race negatively affected him every step of the way. As a young adult he had to attend high school at night while in college to keep up with his white classmates because normal high school wasnt available for blacknesss at the time. After graduating from DePauw University he tried desperately to find a job professing or in a chemistry lab but was constantly refused because of his disrobe color. Fin ally his luck started to change. After professing at an all black college, he landed a job in a small, underclass(prenominal) science laboratory at DePauw.From here, the lost list of accomplishments begins. What really kick started his public life as a chemist was his work at DePauw. There he synthesized Physostigmine, a drug still used to treat glaucoma, skin and kidney unsoundness, and leukemia. further the school wouldnt offer him a professing job because of his race. Next, his work was continued at Glidden Paint factory, Here him and his look for crew began studies on the soybean plant. His quick discoveries improving paint for the company were soon overcome by his ambition to achieve greater so he began that research on his own time.Still fascinated with the soy bean plant he further studied into the uses of it and made an even more important discovery, the protein extracted from the soy bean plant could be used to make hormones for the body. Such uses overwhelm the dru g to prevent miscarriages, a major issue in at the time. Of his next achievements were discovering an easier and more efficient way to synthesize cortisone apply yam which was used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling disease that many people suffer from. These were made at his own laboratory which later he sold and became one of the first black millionaires in the U.S. The list can go on for a long time, but thats not the point. The point is that he worked up from nothing and struggled through and through the racism of America. He continued on when the world around him say to quit, and he wasnt good enough. His diligence and determination is the twain things that made him successful, and two things all of us should engender in us. They are the two things necessary to succeed, the hard work has to be put in and you have refuse to quit. This is wherefore Percy Julian did all that he did, and its why he became one of the most famous and successful chemists of our time.