Bettye Washington Greene: An Industrial Chemist and Inventor Who Lit a Path for Innovation

Brundidge and Cooper discuss the life and legacy of Bettye Washington Greene. Washington Greene was forging a path that would light the way--figuratively and literally--for generations to come. She was one of the first few African American women to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in the 1960s, an era marked by the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Washington Greene's doctoral thesis evaluated light-scattering methods to determine the size of particles, which influence molecular effectiveness, activity, and stability. The fundamental knowledge she provided critically aided the pharmaceutical, catalyst, and cosmetics industries. Following her doctoral defense, Washington Greene went on to become the first African American female employed in a scientific research role at the Dow Chemical Co, where her innovations were awarded three patents.