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Lloyd Quarterman
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Name (Alphabetical by First Name)Major Area(s) of FocusYears AliveSummary of Research / Contribution to Science
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Admiral Grace HopperComputer Science1906 - 1992American computer scientist and US Navy Rear Admiral, developed the first computer programming compiler and invented the term "debugging"
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Alexander von HumboldtBiology, Geology, Ecology1769 - 1859Prussian/German scientist and naturalist, his wide breadth of work in exploration and natural sciences lead to the creation of the fields of biogeography. Credited as the Father of Ecology, he was an early proponent of environmentalism and conservation. More species are named after him than any other human. He is also the namesake for Humboldt County, California.
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Alfred Russel WallaceBiology1823 - 1913English naturalist, contemporary of Darwin who also--and independently--developed the theory of evolution via natural selection. Having come from a working-class background (instead of Darwin's aristocratic one), his contribution was largely ignored for centuries, though now he is more recognized as co-developer of the theory, alongside Darwin.
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Alice BallMedicine1892 - 1916African American chemist and the first Black chemistry professor at the University of Hawaii, developed a breakthrough treatment for leprosy. After dying in a lab accident, her work was almost stolen and attributed to a different scientist until others spoke up in her name
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Alphonse DouchezMedicine, Microbiology1882 - 1964American of Belgian descent (born in San Francisco), physician who studied the origin of common diseases such as scarlet fever, common cold, and pneumonia. First person to establish viruses as the cause of the common cold.
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Aristarchus of SamosAstronomy~310 - 230 B.C.E.Ancient Greek astronomer who came up with the idea of a sun-centered universe nearly 1,800 years before Copernicus
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Arthur B.C. WalkerPhysics1936 - 2001African American solar physicist and a pioneer of EUV/XUV optics. He is most noted for having developed normal incidence multilayer XUV telescopes to photograph the solar corona.
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AvicennaMedicine, Philosophy, Astronomy~980 - 1037Persian scientist and philosopher during the Islamic Golden Age, cited as the father of early modern medicine
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Benjamin BannekerMathematics, Astronomy1731 - 1806Free African American (though the son of enslaved parents), self-taught mathematician and astronomer, corresponded with Thomas Jefferson on the topics of racial equality, built the first striking clock in America and helped plan out the new city of Washington DC
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Benjamin Peary PalAgriculture1906 - 1989Indian agricultural scientist who helped develop new strains of multi-disease resistant wheat, reducing famine in South Asia
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Bessie Blount GriffinMedicine, Forensic Science1914 - 2009African American nurse and inventor, developed devices which would allow amputee veterans returning from WW2 to accomplish daily tasks and have more independence. As a handwriting expert, she was also foundational in the development of modern forensic science.
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Bettye Washington GreeneChemistry1935 - 1995The first African American female-Ph.D. chemist to work in a professional position at the Dow Chemical Company. At Dow, she researched latex and polymers.
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Calestous JumaScience Ethics1953 - 2017Kenyan scientist and academic whose work promoted new developments in global sustainable development and understanding technological innovation. Awarded positions and awards from the Royal Society of London, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the US National Academy of Sciences, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Third World Academy of Sciences
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Cecilia Payne-GaposchkinAstronomy1900 - 1979British American astronomer, discovered that stars are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium (though her findings were initially dismissed by the larger astronomy community)
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Charles Richard DrewMedicine1904 - 1950African American surgeon and medical researcher who modernized the field of blood transfusions and helped establish the first blood banks during WWII. Protested racial segregation in blood donation, an early practice not based on science and which unnecessarily limited available blood donation resources
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Chien-Shiung WuPhysics1912 - 1997Chinese American physicist who participated in the Manhattan Project, helped advance understanding of quantum mechanics, but was denied the Nobel Prize
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Christiaan BarnardMedicine1922 - 2001South African surgeon who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967
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Countess Ada LovelaceComputer Science1815 - 1852English mathematician and often credited as being the world's first computer programmer
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Dorothy HodgkinChemistry, Biology1910-1994British scientist who won the Nobel prize for her work determining the chemical structure of important biological molecules like penicillin, insulin, and vitamin B12, improving our understanding of their function. Roughly another dozen Nobel prizes have been awarded for research which was made possible by her founding work
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Edward BouchetPhysics1852 - 1918African American physicist and educator and was the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. from any American university, completing his dissertation in physics at Yale in 1876.
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Elinor OstromEconomics, Environmental Science1933 - 2012American political economist, disproved the idea of "tragedy of the commons" by showing that humans working in small, interconnected communities tend to work toward communal interest and sustainable resource management. First woman to recieve the Nobel Prize in Economics. Her work has begun influencing development policies world-wide
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Elizabeth BlackwellMedicine1821 - 1910American doctor, first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States, and advocate for women's health
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Elsie WiddowsonMedicine1906 - 2000British researcher, founded the modern field of nutrition by determining the macromolecular composition of foods and the importance of vitamins, which led to healther policies of food rationing during WWII.
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Emilie du ChateletPhysics, Mathematics1706 - 1749French socialite-turned-scientist, her fascination with science and mathematics drove her to study it even when formal society discouraged women's involvement in the field. Before she died from complications of childbirth, she translated and added clarrifying commentaries to Sir Issac Newton's original work, making it more accessible to a wider range of scientists
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Emmett ChappelleMedicine1925 - 2019African-American scientist who made valuable contributions in the fields of medicine, philanthropy, food science, and Astrochemistry. His achievements led to his induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on Bioluminescence, in 2007.
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Emmy NoetherMathematics1882 - 1935German mathematician, innovated understandings of algebra, famed during her time for her creativity and subtle brilliance with mathematics
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Ernest Everett JustBiology1883 - 1941Pioneering African American biologist, academic, and science writer. His early theories of genetics were decades ahead of his time and became the foundation of modern understandings of epigenetics
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Esther LederbergBiology1922 - 2006American microbiologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics, often struggled for professional recognition. To this day, many of her discoveries and advancements are erroneously attributed to her husband
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Eunice FooteChemistry1819 - 1888American scientist who first proposed the possibility of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere absorbing solar radiation and affecting climate. Due to being a woman, she was not allowed to present her research in academic settings and was largely ignored.
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Fe del MundoMedicine1911 - 2011Filipina pediatrician who revolutionized health care in the Phillipines, eventually earning her some of the country's highest civilian honors
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Florence Rena SabinMedicine1881 - 1953American medical researcher, studied the human lymphatic system and the first female full professor at John's Hopkins University, the first woman at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, and the first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences
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Fr. Georges Henri Joseph Edouard LemaitreAstronomy, Mathematics1894 - 1966French astronomer, mathematician, and Catholic priest who first proposed the idea of the Big Bang to explain the expansion of the universe, which was soon confirmed by observations by Edwin Hubble.
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Frances Glessner LeeForensic Science1878 - 1962American forensic scientist who is widely considered the "Mother of Forensic Science" as she basically invented the entire field. Also the first female police capain in the US.
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Frederick SangerChemistry, Biology1918 - 2013British scientist, invented ways for "decoding" DNA and amino acid chains, laying the foundation for modern genetic sequencing
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Gertrude ElionBiology1918 - 1999Biochemist, won the Nobel for her work developing drugs to treat leukemia and preventing organ transplant rejection
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Hedy LamarrPhysics1914 - 2000Austrian actress, helped develop the technology which modern cellphones are based on, honored in both the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Herman BransonPhysics, Chemistry1914 - 1995African American physicist, chemist, best known for his research on the alpha helix protein structure, and was also the president of two colleges
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Ibn al-HaythamMathematics, Astronomy, Physics~965 - 1040Arab scientist and philosopher during the Islamic Golden Age, pionered the physics of optics and lenses, was the first to study how vision works in humans, also helped develop modern scientific method practices like proposing a hypothesis and supporting it with clear evidence and scientific reasoning (almost 5 centuries before the same ideas were adopted during the European Renaissance)
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Ida NoddackChemistry, Physics1896 - 1978German chemist who co-discovered the element rhenium and first proposed the idea of nuclear fission, though it was largely ignored at the time
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Jacinto ConvitBiology1913 - 2014Venezuelan scientist and physician, developed a vaccine for treating leprosy. As a practicing doctor, he was famous for never charging patients for the care he provided
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James "Jim" KauahikauaGeophysics, Vulcanology1951 - 2023American of Native Hawaiian descent, researched extensively on the geology and physics of Hawaiian volcanos. The first person of Hawaiian ancestry to be appointed Scientist-in-Charge of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
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James Andrew HarrisChemistry1932 - 2000A nuclear chemist who was involved in the discovery of elements 104 and 105. Harris is known for being the first African American to contribute to the discovery of new elements.
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James Clerk MaxwellPhysics1831 - 1879Scottish mathematician and scientist, discovered the electromagnetic spectrum, opening up an entire new branch in physics research and development
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Jane Cooke WrightMedicine1919 - 2013One of the first female African American doctors, helped pioneer chemotherapy as a treatment for cancer
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Jewel Plummer CobbBiology1924 - 2017African American biologist, cancer researcher, professor, dean, and academic administrator. She contributed to the field of cancer research by studying the cure for melanoma.
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Joan Murrell OwensBiology1933 - 2011An African American educator and marine biologist specializing in corals. She received degrees in geology, fine art, and guidance counseling. She described a new genus, Rhombopsammia, and three new species of button corals, R. niphada, R. squiresi, and Letepsammia franki.
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Julius Robert von MayerPhysics1814 - 1878German naval doctor who independently first proposed the First Law of Thermodynamics, but whose work was largely ignored at the time
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Karl LandsteinerMedicine1868 - 1943Helped identify human blood groups, pointed out the deadly results of transfusing wrong blood types together, predicted the hereditary nature of human blood types, helped identify the polio virus
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Katherine JohnsonPhysics, Mathematics1918 - 2020African American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights.
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Konrad LorenzPsychology1903 - 1989Austrian zoologist, ornithologist, and behavior scientist often credited as the founder of modern behavioral studies. Forcibly conscripted into the German Army as a scientist during WW2, he was initially a participant in their pseudoscientific psychological research but later realized his error and condemned what he saw.
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Konstantin TsiolkovskyPhysics1857 - 1935Polish Russian phycisist who pioneered the science behind modern rocketry
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Laura Esther Rodrigues DulantoMedicine1872 - 1919Peruvian physician, she was the first woman in Peru to attend University and the first woman physician in Peru
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Lise MeitnerPhysics1878 - 1968Austrian phycisist, co-discoverer of the process of nuclear fission, but was not awareded the Nobel Prize even through her co-researcher was. Was given the option to work on the Manhattan Project but turned it down, not wishing to work on a developing a bomb
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Lloyd Augustus HallChemistry1894 - 1971African American chemist, who contributed to the science of food preservation. By the end of his career, Hall had amassed 59 United States patents, and a number of his inventions were also patented in other countries.
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Lloyd Noel FergusonChemistry1918 - 2011An African American chemist. As a child in Oakland, California, Ferguson had a backyard laboratory in which he developed a moth repellent, a silverware cleanser, and a lemonade powder. He graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1934 at the age of 16.
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Lloyd QuartermanChemistry1918 - 1982African American chemist working mainly with fluorine. During the Second World War he worked on the Manhattan Project.
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Lord Joseph ListerMedicine1827 - 1912British surgeon who pioneered sterile surgery techniques
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Luz Oliveros-BelardoMedicine1906 - 1999Filipina pharmaceutical chemist who isolated plant compounds with strong medicinal properties in the development of new drugs. Hononed with the National Scientist of the Phillipines award
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Mankombu Sambasivan SwaminathanAgriculture1925 - 2023Indian agricultural scientist and humanitarian, his work in agricultural plant breeding and new crop development led to him earning the moniker, "The Father of the Indian Green Revolution." Inspired to enter agriculture research after observing massive casualties during the Bengal famine of 1943, it's estimated that his improvements in agriculture have saved millions of lives from starvation
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Margaret S. CollinsBiology1922 - 1996An African American child prodigy, entomologist specializing in the study of termites, and a civil rights advocate. Collins was nicknamed the “Termite Lady” because of her extensive research on termites.
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Marguerite WilliamsGeology1895 - 1991African American geologist. She was the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States.
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Maria Goeppert MayerPhysics, Chemistry1906 - 1972German American immigrant, persisted in her research even when universities refused to hire her, won the Nobel Prize for her discovery of the nuclear shell of the atomic nucleus
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Maria MitchellAstronomy1818 - 1889An American astronomer, naturalist, and educator, she discovered a comet--later named after her--which earned her international awards and a full-time position researching and teaching astronmy at Vassar College. She was also the first woman elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
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Maria OrosaChemistry1893 - 1945Filipina PhD chemist and food scientist, invented many foods using ingredients local to the Phillipines, during WW2 smuggled food into POW camps to prevent starvation of captives, invented banana ketchup
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Maria TelkesPhysics, Chemistry, Biology1900 - 1995Hungarian American immigrant, invented the solar distiller for converting seawater into drinkable water
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Marie Maynard DalyChemistry1921 - 2003The first Black American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry.
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Mario MolinaChemistry1943 - 2020Mexican chemist, helped discover the risk CFCs posed to depleting the ozone layer, won Nobel prize for discovery and helped advocate for their ban
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Mary AnningPaleontology1799 - 1847British fossil collector and one of the first professional paleontologists, her work changed our understanding of the early history of the Earth and the evolution of life
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Mary Elliott HillChemistry1907 - 1969The earliest African American woman to become a chemist. Hill worked on the properties of ultraviolet light, developing analytic methodology, and, in collaboration with her husband Carl McClellan Hill, developing ketene synthesis which supported the development of plastics.
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Mary SomervilleMathematics1780 - 1872Scottish scientist, writer, and mathematician with a widely sucessful career, memorialized to this day with a college at Oxford named after her, and her face on the £10 Scottish banknote
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Mathilde KrimMedicine1926 - 2018Italian Israeli medical researcher who dedicated her work towards researching and bringing more awareness to HIV/AIDS during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, founded the AIDS Medical Foundation
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Maud Leonora MentenBiology, Chemistry1879 - 1960Canadian biochemist, vastly furthered our understanding of enzymes and enzyme reactions
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Maurice HillemanMedicine1919 - 2005American microbiologist, born to a poor farming family and later went on to earn a PhD and study major viral and bacterial diseases. Best known for developing over 40 vaccines, including 8 of the 14 major vaccines which are part of the regular American vaccination schedule
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Michael FaradayPhysics1791 - 1867British scientist, born to a deeply impovershed family, largely self-taught. Through determination and luck, he was able to land a job as a scientific assistant and went on to launch his own career which founded the basis for modern electrical engineering
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Muhammad ibn Musa al-KhwarizmiMathematics~780 - 847Persian mathematician and astronomer during the Islamic Golden Age, vastly influential in the development of modern mathematics, widely regarded as the Father of Algebra
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Muriel Wheldale OnslowBiologist1880 - 1932British biochemist, helped found the modern field of genetics by independently replicating and verifying Gregor Mendel's experiments with flower breeding
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Norman BorlaugAgriculture1914 - 2009American agronomist (agriculture scientist) who is considered the "Father of the Green Revolution," developing new methods of agriulture production which helped stave off starvation across the world. Credited with saving literally billions of lives, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, as well as considerably more awards and honors worldwide
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OnesmiusMedicine~late 1600s - 1700sAn enslaved African man, most likely originally from Ghana, who was transported to the Boston region early in the United States' colonial history. His knowledge of traditional African medicine included the ancient practice of variolation, a rudimentary form of vaccination which helped slow outbreaks of smallpox. He shared this information with his white captor, who went on to encourage the practice in the region, reducing local outbreaks of smallpox and protecting the population of Boston.
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Oswald AveryBiology1877 - 1955Canadian-American biologist, one of the first true molecular-biologist and part of the original study which identified DNA as the transmitter of hereditary material. Unfortunately, although being nominated for a Nobel prize multiple times, he never recieved the honor.