Alice Ball: The Young Chemist Who Brought Hope!
WHO WAS THIS HERO?
Alice Ball was a brilliant African American chemist who, at a very young age, developed the first successful injectable treatment for Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy. Her groundbreaking "Ball Method" helped countless people and changed medicine forever.
📖The Full Story
Born in Seattle, Washington, in 1892, Alice Augusta Ball came from a talented family. Her grandfather was a famous photographer, and her father was a lawyer, photographer, and newspaper editor. Alice loved science from a young age and excelled in her studies, graduating from high school in 1910. She went on to achieve amazing things in college! At the University of Washington, she earned two bachelor's degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy. Then, she moved to Hawaii, where she made history at the College of Hawaii (now the University of Hawaii) by becoming the very first African American and the very first woman to earn a master's degree in chemistry in 1915. She was also the first female chemistry instructor at the university, all by the age of 23! While at the College of Hawaii, Alice took on a huge challenge. Doctors were looking for a better way to treat Hansen's disease, a sickness that made people very ill. There was an oil from the chaulmoogra tree that helped, but it was hard to use. Alice worked incredibly hard in the lab and, at just 23 years old, she discovered a way to make the oil into an injectable form that could be easily absorbed by the body. This became known as the "Ball Method" and was the most effective treatment for the disease for decades, bringing hope and healing to many who were suffering.
Did You Know? 🌟
1Alice was the first African American and the first woman to earn a master's degree in chemistry from the College of Hawaii!
2She became the first female chemistry instructor at the University of Hawaii when she was only 23 years old!
3Her special "Ball Method" helped doctors treat Hansen's disease (leprosy) for many, many years, making a huge difference in people's lives!
