Alma Jerlene LeVant Hayden
Personal Information
Born: 1927
Died: 1967
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: Black
Education
South Carolina State University BA 1947; Howard University MS Chemistry 1949
Professional Life
Field of Study: Chemistry
Institution/Corporation: NIH, FDA
Degrees & Memberships: none
Awards & Achievements
Awards: none found
Achievements: expert in spectrophotometry & chromatography; may have been the 1st person of color to work at NIH; 1st Black chemist at FDA
One of the 1st African-american women to gain a scientist position at a science agency in D.C.
Expert in spectrophotometry (the measurement of how substances absorb light)
May have been the 1st African-American scientist at the FDA
Originally wanted to be a nurse but "fell in love" with chemistry
Led the team at FDA that discovered the main ingredient of Krebiozen (an expensive cancer treating drug) was creatine, a substance that naturally occurs in the human body & has no cancer treating benefits, thereby saving patients a great deal of money