[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E245-E246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF PERCY LAVON JULIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 30, 2007

  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and 
achievements of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian, the grandson of Alabama ex-
slaves who rose to become an American research chemist of international 
acclaim. Dr. Julian's son, Percy Julian Jr., works on social justice 
issues as a practicing attorney in my home state of Wisconsin.
  While working on the West Side of Chicago for the Glidden Paint 
Company, Dr. Julian worked in soybean research where he developed foam 
that put out oil and gas fires. During World War II the Navy saved many 
lives by using a foam fire extinguisher.
  He later discovered a special process to synthesize cortisone from 
soy beans and yams, allowing the widespread use of cortisone as an 
affordable treatment of arthritis.
  Dr. Julian's achievements did not come easily. Because formal 
education for African Americans in Alabama stopped at eighth grade, he 
was forced to move from Montgomery to Greencastle, Indiana where he 
attended De Paul University as a subfreshman. As a student, he worked 
as a waiter and a ditch digger in order to pay his tuition and make 
ends meet. During the night he laid the groundwork for his future 
discoveries by devoting his energies to study of chemistry.
  Dr. Julian's perseverance and determination paid off and, in 1920, he 
graduated from DePaul University in Indiana at the head of his class 
and was honored as Phi Beta Kappa orator and valedictorian. In 1923, he 
earned his master's degree from Harvard University, again in the top 
group of his class.
  Madam Speaker, Dr. Julian also overcame adversity in his private 
life. His home in the

[[Page E246]]

all-white neighborhood of Oak Park in Chicago was firebombed. He 
refused to move from the area, determined to break down the walls of 
segregation around him. An activist for civil rights he composed and 
delivered numerous speeches in an effort to bring about equality for 
African-Americans.
  It is a true honor to support this resolution, H. Con. Res. 34, which 
honors the life of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian and recognizes his incredible 
accomplishments.

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