On April 18, 1976, Dr. Percy Lavon Julian passed away at age 76, leaving behind a remarkable scientific legacy. A pioneering African American chemist, Julian was the first to synthesize important medicinal compounds from plant sources on an industrial scale, including cortisone, steroids, and birth control hormones. He held over 138 patents and made cortisone treatments more accessible by developing a method to synthesize it from soybeans, dramatically reducing the cost. Despite facing racial discrimination throughout his career, Julian became one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century and a role model for generations of Black chemists.
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