[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1007-H1009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE OF PERCY LAVON JULIAN
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 34)
honoring the life of Percy Lavon Julian, a pioneer in the field of
organic chemistry research and development and the first and only
African American chemist to be inducted into the National Academy of
Sciences.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 34
Whereas Percy Julian was born on April 11, 1899, in
Montgomery, Alabama, the son of a railway clerk and the first
member of his family to attend college, graduating from
DePauw University in 1920, receiving a M.S. degree from
Harvard University in 1923 and a Ph.D. from the University of
Vienna in 1931;
Whereas in 1935 Dr. Julian became the first to discover a
process to synthesize physostigmine, the drug used in the
treatment of glaucoma;
Whereas Dr. Julian later pioneered a commercial process to
synthesize cortisone from soy beans and yams, enabling the
widespread use of cortisone as an affordable treatment of
arthritis;
Whereas Dr. Julian was the first African American chemist
elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973 for his
lifetime of scientific accomplishments, held over 130 patents
at the time of his death in 1975, and dedicated much of his
life to the advancement of African Americans in the sciences;
and
Whereas Dr. Julian's life story has been documented in the
PBS NOVA film ``Forgotten Genius'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress honors the life of Percy
Lavon Julian, a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry
research and development and the first and only African
American chemist to be inducted into the National Academy of
Sciences.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Gingrey) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and
extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on House
Concurrent Resolution 34, the resolution that is now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Mine is a simple concurrent resolution honoring the life of Dr. Percy
Lavon Julian. Dr. Julian was an outstanding chemist and, as a black
man, overcame countless obstacles to achieve international recognition
for his scientific accomplishments.
He spent his youth in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama. When he
decided to leave home to go to college to DePauw University in Indiana,
his entire family came to see him off at the train station, including
his 99-year-old grandmother, a former slave, and his grandfather who
was also there.
His grandfather's right hand was two fingers short. The fingers had
been cut off for violating the code forbidding slaves to learn to read
and write.
At DePauw University, Julian worked in the attic of a fraternity
house. His support and tuition came
[[Page H1008]]
from his earnings as a waiter. Often he worked as a ditch digger during
the day and attended classes in the evening.
Though at the top of his class in college, he was discouraged from
pursuing graduate studies because of potential racial sentiment on the
part of future coworkers and employers.
Madam Speaker, I firmly believe that no one should be discouraged
from pursuing their dreams. Nancy Pelosi, our first female Speaker of
the House, is a prime example of someone who ignored the words of
naysayers. We must hold these people up as examples. Let them light the
paths of others.
Dr. Julian earned a fellowship to study chemistry at Harvard
University, where he received his master's degree; and in 1931, he
earned his Ph.D. from the University of Vienna.
Dr. Julian synthesized a chemical treatment for glaucoma, and he
synthesized cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. He is
also noted for inventing a foam used during World War II to extinguish
gasoline and oil; and over the course of his career, he acquired more
than 100 patents.
Percy Julian received wide recognition by the scientific community
for his research and was elected into the prestigious National Academy
of Sciences. He was a bright, talented individual who excelled in
science in the face of overwhelming challenges.
My bill, House Concurrent Resolution 34, honors his life. We have 12
cosponsors, as well as partnership with the other body from the
gentleman from Illinois. I am pleased that the leadership has chosen to
pass a bill celebrating the success of an African American. He is a
role model, and we want our young people to know that you can make it
even in spite of some of the hardships that you have.
So for future generations coming along, the minority students, I feel
it important to uplift women and minorities to excel in math, science
and engineering. I hope the House leadership will consider substantial
policies to encourage more women and minorities to pursue careers in
science, technology, engineering, and math. They need more help than
what is currently being provided.
But, again, I thank Chairman Gordon and my colleagues for their
support of this resolution. It is a good start, and I hope a bellwether
for future legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, as my good friend and colleague,
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, has already stated, House
Concurrent Resolution 34 honors the life of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian, a
pioneer in organic chemistry, research and development.
Dr. Julian identified and synthesized, and my trusty assistant had to
tell me how to pronounce it, physostigmine. I should know that from
medical school. Dr. Julian, though, synthesized that, and it is a drug
used to treat glaucoma. I think we all know about glaucoma and the
ravages of that, particularly with our elderly, more recently to
improve memory in Alzheimer's patients and as an antidote to nerve gas.
He also made great advances, Madam Speaker, in synthesizing the drug
known, as we all know, as cortisone, and making it affordable treatment
back then for arthritis, and of course, it is used for that and many
other things today.
In addition to his glaucoma and arthritis treatment contributions,
Dr. Julian's impressive achievements also include the invention of a
soy-based fire extinguishing foam used on Navy ships during World War
II, various improvements in paints and coatings while employed with the
Glidden Paint Company, with which he was affiliated, I think, for over
18 years; and he developed a method to filter chemicals in soybean oil
to mass produce hormones for medical application.
Once again, Madam Speaker, as a retired OB/GYN physician, I know a
little bit about the use of hormones for medical conditions.
As an African American in the early 20th century, Dr. Julian overcame
great adversity to succeed and to make his mark on society. The
National Academy of Sciences recognized and honored his significant
contributions to organic chemistry when they inducted him in 1973.
Madam Speaker, I remember to this day my organic chemistry teacher at
Georgia Tech in those 5, 6-hour labs that we had twice a week in
addition to all the classroom work. I wish I had had the privilege of
being taught by Dr. Julian, but Dr. Cherry was a fine professor in his
own right.
I encourage my colleagues to give Dr. Julian the same recognition
today and support this resolution honoring him and his great life.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes
to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
(Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman
from Texas for yielding.
I know all of the folks out in the Bay Area of California are indeed
pleased and proud to see you in the Chair. They are as proud as the
people in the neighborhood where I live are of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian
who lived a few blocks from where I currently live.
{time} 1415
Born the son of a railroad clerk and a school teacher, the grandson
of a slave, young Percy Julian, early in his life, got ahold of Donald
Adams' poem, ``Seven Fold,'' and its charge to ``Go Farther On''
reigned in his spirit.
In academia, racial prejudice followed him like a shadow. He was
class valedictorian in 1920 from DePauw University, but still
discouraged from seeking admission into graduate school because of
potential racial sentiment on the part of future coworkers.
He got straight A's at Harvard University, graduated in 1923. But
even with his success, Julian was unable to get a teaching job at any
major university because of the perception that white students would
refuse to learn under a black instructor.
After he received a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry at the
University of Vienna in 1931, he took a position at DePauw, his alma
mater, where he collaborated with Dr. Josef Pikl and successfully
created a drug which was used as a treatment for glaucoma. Although
internationally recognized for his achievement, however, the color of
his skin prevented him from being appointed chair of DePauw's chemistry
department.
He became the chief chemist and the director of research at the
Glidden Company in Chicago, where he created a flame retardant that
saved countless sailors of the United States Navy during World War II.
I might add that my brother worked at Glidden Durkee as a quality
control director, because he somehow or another also became a chemist
and followed in the footsteps of Dr. Julian.
He discovered that soy sterol could be used to manufacture male and
female hormones, progesterone and testosterone. Yet his achievements
were not properly appreciated. He created synthetic cortisone, and his
products led directly to the development of chemical birth control and
medicines to suppress the immune system, crucial in performing organ
transplants.
He was named Chicagoan of the Year in 1950. He became the first black
to move into the prestigious Oak Park community, but his house was
firebombed twice simply because some folk didn't want a black neighbor.
He parlayed his genius into countless awards, has over 100 patents to
his credit, became a millionaire in 1961, was asked to serve on
numerous commissions and advisory boards, and yet his story is not
taught nearly as much as it needs to be.
Racial obstacles can be pernicious, but if we persist, like Dr.
Julian, to ``Go Farther On,'' then we all become proud. I am proud of
the folks in the community where I live because there are Percy Julian
artifacts and memorabilia, schools named after him, streets named after
him. He is an icon in the Oak Park community.
I commend again my colleague from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson)
for introducing this resolution.
Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I had one other request for time, but he
is detained at this point. Right now, I don't have any other speakers.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H1009]]
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes
to Dr. Holt, the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. HOLT. I thank my friend from Texas.
Madam Speaker, we have heard about the numerous obstacles that Dr.
Julian faced, no public high schools for African-Americans in
Montgomery, so he had to go as a subfreshman to DePauw University, but
his skill, his intelligence, allowed him to thrive there against the
adversity. We have heard that a research job fell through because
African-Americans were not allowed to stay overnight in a town in
Wisconsin where he was going for that work.
We have heard about his contributions: fire retardants, treatments
for glaucoma, a low-cost process to produce cortisone. That brings us
up to today, why we are talking about this. Of course, we want to honor
and recognize someone of such skill and such perseverance, but we want
to highlight it for a reason, and that reason is that even today we are
excluding people whose talents we need.
African-Americans constitute 14 percent or so of the U.S. population,
but receive fewer than 4 percent of the doctorates awarded in chemistry
and chemical engineering; hold about 1 percent, one out of 100
chemistry faculty positions in the top universities. These distressing
numbers are not just an indication of unfairness. They are an
indication of the loss of talent, the loss of creativity, that we need
in our society. So this is not just to extol the accomplishments of
Percy Julian, but to remind us that we have to make way for these
talented individuals in our society today.
Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, just a few words in closing. We talked
about Engineers' Week in the previous suspension resolution. I was just
listening to my good friend, Rush Holt, talk about the importance of
making sure that we encourage people of color and someone like Dr.
Julian and many more like him to get an opportunity.
I am sure it must have been awfully difficult back in those days, and
actually in 1961, that was when I was a student at Georgia Tech, and
there were literally no African-American students at school. I don't
remember any at that time, and that was just, what, 46 years ago. It is
unbelievable.
But, thank God, you know, times have changed; and certainly to learn
about Dr. Julian, I didn't know of him until my colleagues on the
majority side, on the Science Committee, brought forward this
resolution.
I am honored to manage for the ranking member, Mr. Hall, on this side
of the Science Committee and to get to know more about the life of Dr.
Percy Julian, talking about the work he did in developing and
manufacturing a process for the production of cortisone. Madam Speaker,
I can really appreciate him in regard to that, because just yesterday
morning, I was lying on an operating table getting cortisone injected
into my arthritic neck, and I feel better already. I will say, Thank
you, Dr. Julian, for that discovery, and I appreciate it very much.
But it is an honor to pay respect to this gentleman. I am pleased in
a reading of his life that, unlike a lot of other people who do great
things, and they get honored 25 years after their death, and everybody
else seems to capitalize on their discovery, the fact that he was not
only honored in his lifetime by the National Academy of Sciences, but
also was able to get financial remuneration for his work in the sale of
his company to a big pharmaceutical, I think it was Smith, Kline &
French or one of the major pharmaceutical companies back in 1961
purchased his company for $2.1 million. Well, that is great, and I am
very happy that occurred and happy for him and his family.
It is great to have these good bipartisan opportunities, Madam
Speaker. I want to ask all of my colleagues on this side of the aisle,
and I know all my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, to support
this resolution.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I rise in strong
support of H. Res. 34, which gives long overdue recognition to a great
American, Dr. Percy Lavon Julian. Dr. Julian was a brilliant African-
American scientist, inventor, civil rights leader and an unsung hero. A
pioneer and widely acclaimed for his work in organic chemistry, Dr.
Percy broke the color barrier in science. During his lifetime, he made
great strides in the field of chemistry. In 1973, he was elected to the
National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his outstanding lifetime
achievements. He received 19 honorary degrees and was awarded 105
patents, among them a foam fire retardant, a treatment for glaucoma,
and a low-cost process to produce cortisone.
Born in 1899, in Montgomery, AL, the grandson of slaves, Dr. Julian
overcame many obstacles and racism and went on to be the first member
of his family to attend college. He was the valedictorian of his
graduating class at DePauw University in 1920, then went on to receive
his M.S. from Harvard University in 1923 and later getting his Ph.D.
from the University of Vienna in 1931.
At a time of inequality for African-Americans, Dr. Julian persevered
and pioneered a commercial process to synthesize cortisone from soy
beans and yams, enabling the widespread use of cortisone as an
affordable treatment of arthritis. Dr. Julian also became the first to
discover a process to synthesize physotigmine, the drug used in the
treatment of glaucoma.
Dr. Julian broke down barriers to achieve many significant firsts in
his lifetime, one of which was becoming the first Black scientist hired
for a high-level corporate research position as director of research at
the Glidden Company. It was here during his 18-year tenure that he
launched a process for the chemical synthesis of cortisone whose
affordability promulgated its widespread use.
Not only was Dr. Julian an esteemed scientist and innovator, he was
also a leader in his community and a champion for civil rights. In
1950, on Thanksgiving Day, before moving in to his new home in the
exclusive Chicago Oak Park neighborhood, his home was firebombed. Not
one to crumble in the face of adversity, Dr. Julian instead fought
tirelessly for integration and went on to encourage the Human Relations
Commission in the village government and the Oak Park Housing Center in
Illinois towards becoming one of the most efficient systems of
integration in the country.
Dr. Julian's business savvy was showcased in 1954 when he left the
Glidden Company to establish his own laboratories, Julian Laboratories.
There he specialized in producing his synthetic cortizone and
established Laboratorios Julian de Mexico in Mexico City and used wild
yams in Mexico, which he found to be more effective than soy beans for
some of his products. His business savvy was further evidenced when he
sold the Oak Park plant to Smith, Kline, and Smith for $2.3 million, an
astounding amount of money for anyone during that time period.
Dr. Julian played an integral role in his Chicago community as a
civil rights activist. He founded the National Negro Business and
Professional Committee for the Legal Defense fund, raised funds for the
NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Many African-American pioneers and leaders, who came long before the
civil rights movement for equality, were not recognized for the
contributions they made to this Nation and were never thanked for
bettering our society and contributing to humanity. Too many were
forgotten and unrecognized for their diligence and commitment to their
field of work and their contribution that continues to affect each and
every one of our lives today.
As we draw closer to the month of February and Black History month is
recognized, let us take a moment to honor an unsung hero, let us
declare that his memory is not forgotten. I urge my colleagues to
support this bill and honor Dr. Julian Percy because he embodies the
ideals that make America a great nation: pioneering spirit, hard work,
innovation, perseverance, and dedication.
Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further
requests for time, and I urge support of this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Lee). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) that
the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H.
Con. Res. 34.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those voting have responded in the affirmative.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand
the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
____________________