Percy Lavon Julian... A Great American...

Forgotton Genius is the story of Percy Lavon Julian one of the most gifted chemists America has ever produced. His work with plant steroids made possible the synthetic develop of the cortisone that is used for arthritis and other kinds of pain even today. Before Mr. Julian developed the processes and made the discoveries that he did, cortisone was worth more than its weight in gold and even if one had wealth untold, it was sometimes still unavailable at any price because of the little supply. Mr. Julian helped to discover a way that it could be manufactured in very large quantities and made available to those people who were suffering pain and needed this drug desperately.

His contributions in the field of chemistry are vast and his desire to better humanity inspiring.

It was very moving to me to learn of the battles he faced to do his important work and the difficulties that he faced because of his race. Near the end of the program there was a statement that he made where he said something to the effect that he had done the very best that he could, but he had not had the kind of career and the kind of opportunities that he would have liked to have had. I wonder what a genius of this kind could have done if society had been color blind at the time; maybe no more than he did or maybe much more than he did. I think there is a lesson there for society today. We must open the way for those who are willing to work and willing to learn. We must be sure the opportunities to achieve are there when the next Percy Julian comes along. If we don't, we only rob ourselves. Learn about the achievements and the life of Percy Julian here and see bits of the Nova program here.