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Unsung Heroes
Alice Ball
1892 - 1916
American Chemist and Medical Researcher
Childhood:
Alice was born in 1892 in a family of pioneers in Seattle, Washington. Her grandfather and mother both worked in photography and her father was a lawyer and editor of a newspaper. Alice became interested in the chemicals that developed photographs and went to the University of Washington. She studied science and earn two bachelor's degrees; one in pharmaceutical chemistry and the other in science. At age 22, Alice co-published an article called "Benzoylations in Ether Solution" which featured many observations like "Since the balance was sensitive to only 0.05mg it is evident that errors of weight alone account fully for the surprisingly small variation observed." Later, when Alice was offered a scholarship at the University of Hawai'i, she took it, having family history in the Islands. In 1915, she graduated and became the first women and African American to graduate the University of Hawai'i. She also decided to become a teacher there and became the University of Hawai'i's first Black professor of Chemistry.
Adulthood:
As a professor, when Alice was working on her thesis, an assistant surgeon and U.S. public health officer at Kalihi Hospital, Harry T. Hollmann, approached her for her help for a better treatment for Hansen's disease of leprosy. Alice agreed to help a started researching about chaulmoogra oil, an ingredient used to treat leprosy. Chaulmoogra oil, however, didn't work well when put on the outside, tasted too bad to eat, and was painful to use as a shot. Its ingredients didn't work well with water and therefore humans and had bad side effects. However, Alice figured out that by isolating the ethyl esters of the acids in the oil, the oil was able to be used in a shot. Sadly, before she published her results, she became ill when she inhaled chlorine gas. After she got the treatment she taught for a few more months before dying at the age of 24. Nevertheless, her treatment was used and saved countless lives around the world. However, the method was named the Dean Method after the University of Hawai'i's president, Dr. Arthur Dean. Dr. Hollmann did protest the naming but the world basically forgot about Alice until 2000 when the school dedicated a plaque to her.
Overview:
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Born in Seattle, Washington in 1892.
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Became interested in Chemicals used to develop chemicals
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Went to University of Washington and got 2 bachelor's degrees in science
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Wrote an 11-page article called "Benzoylations in Ether Solution"
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Took a scholarship at the University of Hawai'i
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Graduated in 1915 and became the first woman and African American to graduate from there
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Worked with Harry T. Hollmann to created a better and more reliable treatment for leprosy
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Got sick after inhaling chlorine gas and went for treatment
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After treatment, she taught for a few months then died
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Her treatment was used to save countless lives but the credit was stolen by Dr. Arthur Dean
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In 2000, the University of Hawai'i dedicated a plaque to her and finally credited her
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