University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

Black Apollo of Science is a biography of Ernest Everett Just, an exceptional African American scientist, and a vivid portrayal of his quest to be accepted in mainstream science. Despite his struggles with racism, he published some of the most important papers at the time in zoology, including two books. Although his life story in many ways was tragic, his success in science has been an inspiration to a number of scientists of African American descent. The book is even more special, since I got to know Kenneth Manning, the author, while a Ph.D. student at MIT, and hear stories of other African American scientists who received similar treatment. For a number of years, the Gordon Conference on Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways was held at Kimball Union Academy, one of E. E. Just's alma maters. I often smiled as I walked past a science center on the campus that was named after him, knowing quite well that as the sole African American at the meeting, I was probably one of only a handful of people who actually knew exactly who the man was behind the name on the building.