Alice Augusta Ball (1892-1916)

Ball obtained BSc degrees in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1912) and Pharmacy (1914) from the University of Washington.
In 1915, she was the first woman and black person to receive an MSc in Chemistry at the University of Hawaii.
She developed the first successful treatment for leprosy by manipulating chaulmoogra tree oil into a water soluble, injectable form.
The ‘Ball Method’ was used for over 30 years until sulfone drugs were introduced.
Her work was taken credit for and renamed the ‘Dean Method’ by the president of the University of Hawaii after her death.
In 2000, Hawaii named February 29th ‘Alice Ball Day’ and it is celebrated every 4 years.

Text: Biography.com (2020).

Image: © Public Domain

Author: Anthonia Oluwatuyi (2020) LJMU Student

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