William Jacob Knox Jr., was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to William and Estella. He was accepted to Harvard University’s undergraduate program in 1921. He graduated with a master’ degree in Organic Chemistry in 1929, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering 1935 for MIT. After graduation he became a professor at North Caroling A&T College.
In 1943, he joined a team of scientists at Columbia University. He was working on a project I’m sure you all of heard about the Manhattan Project? He held the position of supervisor, most of his research and finding were utilizing uranium hexafluoride. He was a section leader in the Corrosion Section. After the war he worked for Kodak, he held twenty-one patents with Kodak. He died in 1995, he was 91.
What you may not know about William is that he did his postgraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his family alone made up 7% of the total African Americans to hold a Ph.D. He was the only African American supervisor for the Manhattan Project. What an accomplishment, don’t you think?
NW Arkansas, come for a visit, stay for a lifetime
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