About
American chemist who developed an oil extract which served as the most effective known treatment of leprosy until the 1940's. She is also notable for having been the first woman and the first African-American to a Master's degree from the University of Hawaii.
Before Fame
She graduated from Seattle High School in 1910 and earned Bachelor's degrees in both Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Washington.
Trivia
She died at the age of 24 under mysterious circumstances. It is suspected that she may have died from chlorine poisoning, as stated in an article in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser.
Family Life
Her grandfather was famous photographer James Presley Ball. Her father, also named James, was a lawyer and newspaper editor, and her mother, Laura, was a photographer.
Associated With
She and Saint Elmo Brady are both African-Americans who broke barriers in the field of chemistry.
