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» Profile of Dr.
Massie
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Biography
Of
Dr. Samuel
P. Massie
1919–2005
Preface
Few men or women of any race have attained the
respect, admiration, and degree of excellence achieved by Dr. Samuel P.
Massie. Because Dr. Massie's life and work pave the way for
African-Americans and other minorities in education and in the sciences,
DOE chose to name its Chairs of Excellence in the environmental sciences
in his honor. Dr. Samuel P. Massie, Jr. is one of the most
distinguished organic chemists and chemistry educators in the United
States. In his long career as an educator, Massie has taught at several
historically black colleges, including Fisk University. In 1966 he
became the first African-American professor at the prestigious Naval
Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he taught for more than 25 years.
Massie also served as chair of the chemistry department from 1977 to
1981, becoming the academy's first black department chair.
Life and Career
Samuel Proctor Massie, Jr. was born on July 3, 1919
in Little Rock, Arkansas. His parents had met at Shorter College in
North Little Rock, where they were both studying to become
schoolteachers. Massie's father later became a high school and junior
college biology instructor in Little Rock, while his mother taught in a
one-room schoolhouse in rural Keo, Arkansas, about 18 miles away. As was
fairly common in those days, Massie accompanied his mother to her
teaching job, where he studied along with the older children. An Impressive Academic Career
Massie intellectual abilities were evident
extremely early. He learned to read at the astonishingly early age of
two, and--partly because he had already been in school for years--he was
at the third-grade level when he officially began first grade. During
his elementary and secondary schooling, Massie skipped grade after
grade, until he found himself enrolled at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High
School, where his father taught, at the age of ten. Massie completed his
high school education in 1932, when he was just 13 years old. Too young to go to college, Massie worked in a
grocery store for a year after his high school graduation. In 1934, he
enrolled in Dunbar Junior College in Little Rock, where he studied
mathematics and the liberal arts. During his second year at the college,
Massie's classmates elected him student body president. After earning an associate's degree, Massie entered
the all-black Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College (now
the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) in 1936. Here he majored in
chemistry and minored in mathematics and French. In addition to taking
extra classes each term, Massie joined the debate team and edited the
college yearbook. In 1938 at the age of 18, he graduated with a B.S. in
chemistry with highest honors. With his impressive academic record, Massie had no
difficulty winning a scholarship to continue his studies at Fisk
University in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his master's degree in
chemistry in 1940. Later that year, Massie returned to Arkansas AMN
College, where he took a position as associate professor of mathematics
and physics, and acting head of the math and physics department. In 1941 Massie left Arkansas to pursue his
doctorate at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. However, when Massie
arrived at Iowa State, he discovered that he had not left racial
barriers behind in the South. He was not allowed to live on campus, and
he was passed over for a teaching assistantship in the chemistry
department. "I was disappointed that I couldn't have a fellowship at
Iowa State," Massie told Visions, the university's alumni
magazine, adding simply, "I needed the money." The Manhattan Project
Meanwhile, World War II had begun. Because Massie
was enrolled in higher education, he had a draft deferment; but before
he could complete his doctoral studies, the draft board in Arkansas
revoked it. Forced to drop out of graduate school temporarily, Massie
took a position as a research associate at Iowa State from 1943 to 1946.
Under the supervision of chemistry professor Henry Gilman, Massie worked
on a special research team that was part of the Manhattan Project, the
top-secret effort to develop an atomic bomb. When the war was over, Massie returned to working
on his dissertation, "High-Molecular Weight Compounds of Nitrogen and
Sulfur as Therapeutic Agents." He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry
from Iowa State in 1946. Massie then accepted a position as a chemistry
instructor at his alma mater, Fisk University. At Fisk, he met student
Gloria Thompkins, who was president of the class of 1947. The couple
married and eventually had three sons. Gloria became a psychology
professor, and society editor for Jet magazine. After just a year at Fisk, Massie was offered a job
as professor of chemistry and chair of the chemistry department at
Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma. Massie taught there until
1953. In his final year, he was elected president of the Oklahoma
Academy of Science--a remarkable achievement for an African American in
the South at the time. In 1953 Massie returned once again to Fisk, where
he served as professor of chemistry and chair of the chemistry
department. He also formed a research team to study phenothiazine, a
chemical that he had begun researching as a graduate student. Soon
afterward, phenothiazine became a subject of great interest, as research
teams around the world discovered its uses in treating psychiatric
disorders and in cancer therapy. Massie's article, "The Chemistry of
Phenothiazine," published in 1954, became an important resource for
these researchers, and is still regarded as a classic and
led to the development of the anti-psychotic drug Thorazine. Massie accepted a position at the National Science
Foundation (NSF) in Washington, D.C. in 1960. As an associate program
director for special projects in science education, he helped colleges
and universities improve their laboratories and libraries. In 1961,
while still at the NSF, Massie took a part-time position as the chair of
pharmaceutical chemistry at Howard University, also in Washington, D.C.
That year, the Manufacturing Chemists Association named Massie one of
the six best college-level chemistry teachers in the country. First Black Professor at Naval Academy
In 1963 Massie became president of North Carolina
College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University). During this
time, Massie caught the attention of President Lyndon Johnson. In 1966,
Johnson appointed him to a chemistry professorship at the prestigious
United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Massie became the
first black professor at the nearly all-white institution. Even at this stage in his career, however, Massie
encountered open racism: the community of Annapolis was not ready to
accept Massie and his family. After a long struggle to find a suitable
place to live, the family eventually settled in a neighborhood where
only a few years earlier, a sign had warned against blacks entering the
area after sunset. A few years later, the Massies settled in the nearby
town of Laurel, Maryland. Massie also had to contend with his students, many
of whom had never been taught by an African American before. "When I
arrived at the Academy, for the first time in many of these students'
lives, the opinion of a black person was important to them," he told
Visions. Massie's superlative teaching ability overcame any
resistance, however, and he soon became one of the academy's most
popular teachers. In 1977 Massie was appointed chair of the department
of chemistry at the Naval Academy, a position he held until 1981. He
also co-founded the academy's black studies program. During his years at the academy, much of Massie's
research focused on human health in a military context. He developed
foaming agents that dispersed poisonous gases, protecting soldiers from
their deadly effects. He researched drugs to treat infections such as
malaria, meningitis, and herpes. In 1985, Massie and his colleagues were
awarded a patent for an antibiotic to treat gonorrhea. Massie also made significant contributions in the
discipline of environmental science. He conducted a series of studies on
chemicals that are commonly used on naval ships--such as detergents and
fire retardants--seeking to discover whether they harm marine life. He
also investigated whether trace amounts of toxic metals are released
into the water when rust and corrosion are cleaned off a ship. In addition to his teaching and his research,
Massie found time to serve as a member of the Maryland State Board of
Community Colleges. In his 21 years on the board--ten as chair--Massie
fought for more investment in science education. In 1989 the board
established a Massie Science Prize in his honor, to be awarded to an
outstanding science student at a Maryland community college. In 1990 Massie received a faculty achievement award
from the Naval Academy. Three years later, he became the second civilian
and the first African American to become an honorary member of the
National Naval Officers Association. The following year, Massie retired
from the Naval Academy, which named him a professor emeritus. Bingwa Software Company
Unable to give up work entirely, Massie accepted a
position as vice president for education at the Bingwa Software Company,
a company that produces educational software using multicultural models.
A typical product, the Mathematical Heritage Series for first- and
second-graders, combines math concepts with the biographies of real-life
role models. Massie himself appears in the segment on ordering numbers. Massie has lectured at numerous colleges and
universities, including Swarthmore College, Dillard University, Virginia
State University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, St. Andrew's
Presbyterian College, Ripon College, and the University of Northern
Colorado. He has published widely in scientific journals, and delivered
papers at conferences in Zurich, Switzerland; Tokyo, Japan; Mexico City,
Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Massie has also received countless awards
throughout his career. One memorable award was an honorary doctorate
from the University of Arkansas, which once had denied him admission on
the basis of race. Other honorary degrees came from Lehigh University in
Pennsylvania, the University of Maryland, Bowie State University in
Maryland and Wooster College in Ohio. In 1981 Iowa State University
honored him with the Distinguished Achievement Citation, the
university's highest alumni award. In 1994 information about Massie's life and career
was placed on permanent display in the "Science in American Life"
exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute. The following year, his portrait
was hung in the National Academy of Science gallery. In 1998 Chemical
and Engineering News named Massie one of the world's 75 most
distinguished chemists, a list that also included Marie Curie and Linus
Pauling; Massie was among just 32 living scientists and three African
Americans on the prestigious list. Career Summary
Organic chemist and chemistry professor, Arkansas
AMN College, associate professor of mathematics and physics, acting head
of math and physics department, 1940-41; Iowa State University, research
associate, 1943-46; Fisk University, chemistry instructor, 1946-47;
Langston University, chemistry professor, chemistry department chairman,
1947-53; Fisk University, chemistry professor, chemistry department
chairman, 1953-60; National Science Foundation, program director,
1960-63; Howard University, professor, pharmaceutical chemistry chair,
1961-63; North Carolina College at Durham, president, 1963-66; U.S.
Naval Academy, chemistry professor, 1966-94, chemistry chair, 1977-81;
Bingwa Software Company, vice president for education, 1994-2005.
Awards and Recognition
Awards
Dr. Massie has received countless honors and
awards. In 1961 the MCA named him one of the six best College Chemistry
Professors in the United States. He is listed in American Men of
Science, and Who's Who in America . In 1976 the Anne Arundel
County (MD) Chapter of the NAACP gave him its Freedom Funds Award, and
in July 1976 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity presented Dr. Massie with its
highest award: The Laurel Wreath. In 1980 the National Organization of Black
Professional Chemists and Chemical Engineers named him as Outstanding
Professor. In 1981 his alma mater, Iowa State University, awarded him
its highest alumni honor: The Distinguished Achievement Citation.
Dillard University accorded him the same honor in 1981. On April 16,
1987, the same organization gave him the Henry A. Hill Award for his
long and distinguished service to the field of chemistry. In September
1988 The White House Initiative honored Dr. Massie with its first
Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to science, technology,
and community services. In September 1989, as a graduate of two HBCU
institutions, he was one of eight black Americans inducted in the
National Black College Alumni Hall Of Fame in the area of Science.
President Henry Ponder of Fisk
University, one of his students from
Langston University
(Oklahoma), presented the award. That same month the Maryland Community
College system recognized him for 21 years of leadership with the
Maryland State Board of Community Colleges. A Massie Science Prize was
established in his honor. In November 1989 he was honored by Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity for 50 years of membership and leadership. He was first
initiated into the Fisk Chapter (Alpha Delta) in 1939. In October 1990
the U.S. Naval Academy presented him with the prestigious Faculty
Achievement Award for his service as teacher, researcher, and promoter
of the Academy. In November 1994 Massie received the 1994 James Flack
Norris Award of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical
Society for distinguished achievement in teaching chemistry. On March 1, 1995, Dr. Massie's
portrait was hung in the
National Academy of Science gallery. In 1997, he was named to the
Chemical & Engineering News Top 75 Distinguished Contributors to
the Chemical Enterprise" during the 75 years of C&EN's existence. Recognition
In January 1990 Dr. Massie was singularly featured
by the Navy magazine All Hands, a publication distributed to all
Navy personnel, in its "Spotlight On Excellence" for his lifetime
service in "Training Young Minds." During that month, The Magazine for
Young Black Professionals also ran a feature on Dr. Massie. The summer 1990 issue of the Journal of the
National Technical Association
featured as its lead article for the section "Extending the Black Legacy
through Science and Technology," a historical review by Professor Massie
titled "And the Beat Goes On." The fall 1960 issue of College Digest, sent
to prospective college students, featured an article by Professor Massie
on "Science and Mathematics in the Twenty-First Century." In April 1994 at the opening of the "Science in
American Life" exhibit at the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian
Institute), sponsored by the American Chemical Society, aspects
of his life and career were placed on permanent exhibit. Honorary Doctorates
In 1970 the
University of Arkansas
(which refused his admission application in the thirties due to the
segregation policies of that University) awarded him an honorary
doctorate (LL.D.). In 1985
Lehigh University awarded him a D.Sc. and the
University of Maryland a
D. Public Service. In June 1990
Bowie State University
(MD) awarded him the honorary degree (D.H.L.) Doctor of Humane Letters
for his contributions to science, technology, education, and community
service. In May 1992 The College of Wooster (Ohio) awarded him an
Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree for his contributions to
science, education, and community service. Endowments and Chairs
In December 1992, the National Naval Officer's
Association and the U.S. Naval Academy's African-American Alumni
established the Samuel P.
Massie Educational Endowment Fund to help pay college tuition
costs for women, minority, and low-income residents of Anne Arundel
County (Maryland). In September 1994 the US
Department of Energy and
the Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering
AMIE), a coalition of
FORTUNE companies and nine historically black colleges and universities
combined to establish the DOE Samuel P. Massie Chairs of Excellence
Professorship in Environmental Disciplines in Schools of Engineering at
the nine HBCUs. Dr. Massie pursued an interest in environmental studies
during his career at the Naval Academy while spending summers at the
David Taylor Research Base Research facilities near Annapolis working in
such diverse areas as: (a) analyses of waters deposited by ships in dock
at marine facilities; (b) studies of chemicals used to prevent and/or
remove barnacles from ships; (c) development of chemicals to be used as
protective foams against nerve gases lobbed by missiles onto the decks
of aircraft and battleships; (d) studies of detergents used aboard
ships; (e) analyses of toxic metals like copper, tin, and lead in parts
per billion; and (f) fire-prevention studies. Professorship Created in His Honor However, of all his honors and awards, Massie was
proudest of the environmental engineering professorship that the
Department of Energy established in his name. In 1994 the Dr. Samuel P.
Massie Chair of Excellence, worth $14.7 million, was awarded to ten
universities--nine historically black colleges, and one that serves
primarily Hispanic students. The grants will help to support
groundbreaking environmental research and to produce top-level
graduates. Selected Awards: Named one of the six best
college-level chemistry teachers, Manufacturing Chemists Association,
1961; Distinguished Achievement Citation, Iowa State University, 1981;
Faculty achievement award, Naval Academy, 1990; honorary member,
National Naval Officers Association, 1993; U.S. Naval Academy, professor
emeritus, 1994; named one of the world's 75 most distinguished chemists,
Chemical and Engineering News, 1998; honorary doctorates from the
University of Arkansas, Lehigh University, University of Maryland, Bowie
State University, and Wooster College.
Education and Memberships
Education
Dr. Samuel P. Massie is a native of North Little
Rock, Arkansas, where both his parents were schoolteachers. At the age
of six he read at a third-grade level and by the time he was 13 he
graduated from high school. Dr. Massie later attended Dunbar Jr. College
(Little Rock, Arkansas) and, at the age of 18, received a BS degree
(summa cum laude) from A.M.N. College of Arkansas (now the University of
Arkansas at Pine Bluff) with a major in Chemistry. He was awarded the MA
degree in Chemistry from Fisk
University in Nashville, and the Ph.D. degree in Organic
Chemistry from Iowa State
University.
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Dr. Samuel P. Massie Chairs of Excellence © 2005 - 2011 ( Updated 07/04/2011 ) |
