Degree(s): Chemistry

Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington

Graduate Institution: University of Hawaii [Public domain]

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Ms. Alice Ball developed the first successful treatment for leprosy. She was also the first Black American and woman chemistry professor at the University of Hawaii. Due to her untimely death while conducting research (1916), Ms. Ball never published her findings. Following her death, the University of Hawaii president continued her work and published the findings without properly crediting her. Years later, Ms. Ball was properly credited with the discovery.