Samuel M. Nabrit
Samuel M. Nabrit | |
---|---|
Atlanta, Georgia | |
Alma mater | Morehouse College Brown University |
Occupation | Marine biologist |
Known for | First African American to be awarded a doctoral degree from Brown University, first Morehouse College graduate to earn a Ph.D. and the first African American appointed to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (Now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) |
Board member of | Brown University Board of Trustees |
Parent(s) | James M. Nabrit Sr. and Augusta G. West |
Family | James Nabrit Jr. (brother) |
Samuel Milton Nabrit (February 21, 1905 โ December 30, 2003) was an American marine biologist. He was the first African American to be awarded a doctoral degree from
Early life and education
Born on February 21, 1905, in Macon, Georgia, Samuel Milton Nabrit was the son of James M. Nabrit Sr., a Baptist minister and teacher, and Augusta G. West.[2] One of eight children, all of whom received a college education, Nabrit was elected valedictorian of his high school class in 1921.[2] His brother James Nabrit Jr., also a graduate of Morehouse College, became the second African-American president of Howard University and Deputy United States Ambassador to the United Nations. He was married to the late Constance Croker.[2]
Nabrit graduated from Morehouse College in 1925, obtained his master's degree from Brown University in 1928 and received his doctorate in biology from Brown University in 1932.[4][5] The next four African-American Ph.D. candidates at Brown University were students whom Nabrit taught at Morehouse.[4]
Professional life
An accomplished
Nabrit began his teaching career at Morehouse College in 1925 where was a professor of zoology and named Chair of the biology department in 1932.[5] He later became chairman of the biology department at
In 1950, Nabrit was a research fellow at the University of Brussels in Belgium. The scientific papers Nabrit published, during this period, remained influential in the field for decades.[5] In 1955, he was named the second president of Texas Southern University where he served as president until 1966. Between 1956 and 1962, Nabrit served on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's National Science Board.[5]
He was appointed by President
In 1945, he served as president of the National Institute of Science, a nonprofit national scientific organization for students and faculty members at historically black colleges and universities.[3][8]
In 1967, Nabrit was elected to the
Selected works
- "The Role of the Fin Rays in Tailfins of Fishes Fundulus and Goldfish", Biological Bulletin, April 1929.
- "Human Ecology in Georgia", Science Education, October 1944.
- "The Negro in Science", Negro History Bulletin, January 1957.
References
- ^ a b Nabrit Black Graduate Student Association, Brown University 2006-2008. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
- ^ a b c d e Kimetris N. Baltrip, "Samuel Nabrit, 98, Scientist and a Pioneer in Education, Dies", The New York Times, January 6, 2004. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
- ^ a b c "Samuel M. Nabrit", National Academy of Sciences. African American History Program.
- ^ a b c d "African Americans", Martha Mitchell's Encyclopedia Brunoniana (1993).
- ^ a b c d e f Chris Routledge, "Samuel Milton Nabrit", Gale Contemporary Black Biography. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
- ^ "Samuel Nabrit, 98; University President, Marine Biologist", Los Angeles Times, January 8, 2004.
- ^ "Samuel M. Nabrit, 1st Black named to Atomic Energy Commission, dies at 98", Jet, 2004-01-26. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
- ^ National Institute of Science (NIS)