A steroid chemist and an entrepreneur, Percy Julian ingeniously figured out how to synthesize important medicinal compounds from abundant plant sources, making them more affordable to mass-produce. In the 1930s chemists recognized the structural similarity of a large group of natural substances—the steroids.

What medicines did Percy Julian invent?

In 1935, in Minshall Laboratory, DePauw alumnus Percy L. Julian (1899-1975) first synthesized the drug physostigmine, previously only available from its natural source, the Calabar bean. His pioneering research led to the process that made physostigmine readily available for the treatment of glaucoma.

What did Elmo Brady discover?

Washington, D.C. Saint Elmo Brady (December 22, 1884 – December 25, 1966) was the first African American to obtain a Ph. D. in chemistry in the United States.