About Magazine Podcasts Events
Museum Hours:Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–5pm

Scientific Biographies

Science is a human pursuit. Meet some of the people who have contributed to the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences.
Featured

Percy Lavon Julian

The grandson of enslaved people, Julian overcame racial barriers to achieve scientific, business, and personal success.

Learn More
Dr. Percy Lavon Julian is pictured at the newly constructed chemistry building named in his honor at MacMurray College, 1972.
Science History Institute
Dr. Percy Lavon Julian honored at MacMurray College

Filter biographies

For Educators
  • Audio/Visual Content
  • Earth and Space Science
  • Environmental Literacy and Sustainability
  • Language Arts
  • Life Science
  • Physical Science
  • Primary Sources
  • Race and Science
  • Technology and Engineering
  • Women in Science
  • World History
Objects of Study
  • Art
  • Business
  • Computers
  • Dyes
  • Education
  • Electricity
  • Enzymes
  • Explosives
  • Food
  • Gases
  • Genes
  • Instruments
  • Medicines
  • Metals
  • Microorganisms
  • Plants
  • Plastics
  • Pollution
  • Radiation
  • Textiles
Stories
  • Building Capacity
  • Controversies and Disputes
  • Environmental Matters
  • Mentorship
  • Military Science
  • Science and Activism
  • Science and the Nation
  • Science on the Move
  • Serendipity
  • Talking About Science
  • The Science of Health
  • Tools of Knowledge
  • Trailblazers
  • Working Together
Arnold O. Beckman
1900 - 2004
St. Elmo Brady in a chemistry lab at Fisk University. He is pouring a liquid from one beaker into another. There are counters of lab equipment surrounding him.
St. Elmo Brady
1884 - 1966
Black and white photo of Cain in a suit and tie
Gordon A. Cain
1912 - 2002
Nancy Chang
b. 1950
Uma Chowdhry wearing green shawl and glasses, hand on a rail, cherry blossoms in background
Uma Chowdhry
1947 - 2024
Djerassi wears a tan suit jacket and green ribboned medal around his neck
Carl Djerassi
1923 - 2015
The Frees wearing lab coats and standing in a research lab. Alfred holds what seems to be an animal test subject while Helen injects something.
Helen M. Free
1923 - 2021
Mary Lowe Good
1931 - 2019
Robert W. Gore
1937 - 2020
black and white photo of an older woman wearing glasses
Kathryn C. “Kitty” Hach-Darrow
1922 - 2020
Paula Hammond in her lab at MIT.
Paula Hammond
b. 1963
alan heeger photo
Alan J. Heeger
b. 1936
drawing of a man in a hat
Francisco Hernández
1515 - 1587
photo of older man wearing glasses
Roald Hoffmann
b. 1937
Dr. Percy Lavon Julian honored at MacMurray College
Percy Lavon Julian
1899 - 1975
Stephanie L. Kwolek
1923 - 2014
Ralph Landau
1916 - 2004
Robert S. Langer
b. 1948
Alan MacDiarmid
Alan MacDiarmid
1927 - 2007
Russell Earl Marker
1902 - 1995
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
b. 1953
Gordon E. Moore
1929 - 2023
A professional portrait of Donald Othmer as a young man, wearing a suit and tie.
Donald F. Othmer
1904 - 1995
black and white photo of a man in a lab
Robert W. Parry
1917 - 2006
Louis Pasteur
1822 - 1895
Linus Carl Pauling
1901 - 1994
Roy J. Plunkett
1910 - 1994
black and white photo of a man in a lab
Petr Rehbinder
1898 - 1972
12

About Scientific Biographies

Everything you need to know about our scientific biographies, including how to contact us, cite a biography, pitch a scientist, write a biography, or republish a biography.