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Today’s Black History WOW!
Alma Levant Hayden was born on March 27, 1927, in Greenville, South Carolina. From a young age, she exhibited a keen interest in the natural sciences, supported and nurtured by a family that valued education. She attended South Carolina State College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1947. Alma's passion for chemistry led her to further her studies at Howard University, where she earned a Master's degree in chemistry in 1950.
Hayden's professional journey began at the National Institutes of Health, where she was one of the first African American women to hold a scientific role. Her work at the NIH focused on biochemistry, providing foundational research that would support further scientific explorations.
In the mid-1950s Hayden moved to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she may have been the first person of color to work at the Agency. There may have been a reluctance to hire African Americans at the FDA at that time because scientific officers may have to give testimony in courts, and there was concern about how this would be received in some parts of the U.S.
In 1963, Hayden became Chief of the Spectrophotometer Research Branch in the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
While at the FDA, she worked as an analytical chemist and later rose to the position of Branch Chief. Her most significant work came in the early 1960s when she played a crucial role in debunking the claims surrounding Krebiozen, a purported anti-cancer drug.
Krebiozen was touted as a miraculous cancer cure, which had garnered a great deal of public and medical interest. However, its efficacy was highly questionable. Alma Levant Hayden and her team employed advanced chemical analysis techniques to investigate the drug. Her meticulous work revealed that Krebiozen was actually creatine, a known and biologically inactive substance that offered no therapeutic benefit for cancer patients.
This revelation was groundbreaking, safeguarding the public from false medical claims and reinforcing the importance of evidence-based treatments. Her work exemplified scientific rigor and integrity, characteristics that have become cornerstones of public health research and policy.
Alma Levant Hayden was an effective advocate for diversity and inclusion in the sciences. She mentored numerous young scientists, encouraging them to break through the barriers they faced.
Alma Levant Hayden died of cancer on August 2, 1967, at the age of 40.
Today In Black History
In 1775, Horatio Gates, adjutant general for George Washington, issued an order excluding Blacks from the Continental Army.
In 1964, Rev. James Thomas was elected Bishop of the predominantly white Iowa district of the Methodist Church.
In 1973, the Bahamas declared its independence from the United Kingdom.
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