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).

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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