Google honors the 115th anniversary of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian’s birth with a doodle on the search engine’s landing page.
Dr. Julian was an accomplished chemist famous for his work with soybeans. His work with soy sterol and soy protein led to advances in cancer treatment, birth control, cortisone and even fire extinguishers used on Navy vessels during World War II.
Quick Facts
- Born in Montgomery, Ala. (1899)
- Graduated with honors from DePauw University (1920)
- Taught chemistry at Fisk University
- Received an Austin Fellowship in Chemistry (1923)
- Finished his Masters degree at Harvard University (1923)
- Earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vienna (1931)
- Moved to Oak Park with his family in 1951, becoming the first black family to live in the community.
- His Oak Park home was firebombed twice.
- Died in Waukegan, Ill. (1975)