Today In Black History: Dr. Lloyd Quarterman
Atomic Scientist Who Worked on the Manhattan Project
Issue #610 Today In Black History, Tuesday, May 21, 2024
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Today’s Black History WOW!
Lloyd Albert Quarterman was born on May 21, 1918, in Memphis, Tennessee, and as a child, he played with the chemistry sets his parents gave him. He later attended St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1943.
As one of the six African Americans to work on the Manhattan Project, Quarterman was chiefly responsible for the design and construction of a special distillation system for purifying large quantities of hydrogen fluoride. This hydrogen fluoride would be used to separate the Uranium isotope U-235 for the construction of the atomic bombs.
The U-235 that Quarterman helped accumulate was used to make Little Boy, the atomic bomb that was exploded over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. After the war, Quarterman was presented with a certificate of recognition for his development of the Atom Bomb and his contribution to the conclusion of World War II.
Quarterman also worked at two laboratories during WWII. At the University of Chicago, he worked under Italian physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi, while at Columbia, he worked under Albert Einstein.
After the war, Quarterman worked at the then-newly established Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois, where he continued to work for over 30 years. At Argonne, Quarterman was an assistant to the associate research scientist and chemist from 1943 to 1949. He assisted with the first nuclear reactor for atomic-powered submarines.
Quarterman graduated from Northwestern University with a Master of Science in 1952.
Lloyd Quarterman received an honorary Ph.D. in chemistry from St. Augustine's College in 1971. He was a member of the Chicago chapter of the NAACP and gave frequent talks inspiring African Americans to pursue education in the sciences.
Quarterman received numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was also inducted into the National Academy of Sciences for his outstanding contributions to the field of chemistry.
Lloyd Quarterman died in Chicago, Illinois in July of 1982 at age 64. Before his death, he had instructed that his body be used for scientific research.
Today In Black History
In 1862, Mary Patterson became the first Black woman to earn an M.A. degree, which was awarded by Oberlin College.
In 1881, Blanche Kelso Bruce was sworn in as a U.S. Senator from Mississippi. He was the first Black man to serve a full term in the Senate and preside over the Senate. He was an advocate for the civil rights of Blacks, Native Americans, and Chinese immigrants.
In 1960, opera singer Leontyne Price became the 1st African American to sing the lead in “Aida.”
In 1964, Elder Hawkins Garnet became the first Black moderator of the United Presbyterian Church.
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