Lawrence H. Knox

Lawrence Howland Knox (September 30, 1906 – January 6, 1966)[1][2] was among the first African Americans to receive a PhD in chemistry, following his brother William Jacob Knox (1904–1995).[3][4] He worked with Paul Doughty Bartlett on an experiment for testing organic mechanisms in chemistry which involved the use of the molecule bicyclo(2.2.1)heptane, a type of bicyclic molecule.[5] Knox was the grandson of a slave.[3]

He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, lived for an extended period in Mexico, and died of carbon monoxide poisoning at Colegio Vista Hermosa, Mexico City.[1]

Education

Knox received a Bachelor of Science degree from Bates College in 1928. While at Bates Knox was an honor student in science, a member of the Jordan Scientific Society and lettered in football as a right halfback.[6] He attended Standford University for his Masters degree in 1931[7] and Harvard University for his Ph.D in 1940.[8]

Career

Knox is credited with at least two U.S. Patents, Production of Arecoline accepted on May 2nd, 1950[9][10]and Photochemical Preparation of Tropilidenes in 1953[10].

Knox was head of the chemistry department at North Carolina College[10] (at the time called the North Carolina College for Negros).

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References
  1. "Knox, Lawrence Howland (1906–1966)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  2. Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1835–1974
  3. Gortler, Leon; Weininger, Stephen J. (Summer 2010). "Chemical Relations: William and Lawrence Knox, African American Chemists". Chemical Heritage Magazine. Chemical Heritage Foundation. 28 (2).
  4. "Knox, William Jacob, Jr. (1904–1995)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  5. Weininger, Stephen; Gortler, Leon (January 14, 2011). "Perspective: Stumbling Through History: Discovering Unsung African-American Chemists". Science Careers. Science. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  6. Mirror, 1928. Edmund Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library Bates College. Bates College. 1928.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Knox, Lawrence Howland (1931). Hydrocarbons from the reducing action of the frignard reagent /. Stanford University.
  8. Knox, Lawrence Howland (1940). Bicyclic structures prohibiting the Walden inversion. Replacement reactions in 1-substituted 1-apocamphanes. Harvard University.
  9. Knox, Lawrence Howland (May 2, 1950). "Production of arecoline". Google Patents. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  10. Sluby, Patricia Carter. (2004). The inventive spirit of African Americans : patented ingenuity. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-96674-7. OCLC 53814689.


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