Alice A. Ball

Born in Seattle in 1892, Alice Augusta Ball studied pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy at the University of Washington before continuing her work in Hawaiʻi. In 1915, she became the first woman and the first African American to earn a master's degree in chemistry from the College of Hawaiʻi, now the University of Hawaiʻi.

She is best known for developing an injectable form of chaulmoogra oil, a treatment that offered new hope to people with leprosy at a time when options were very limited. Although she died in 1916 at a very young age, her method later became known as the "Ball Method" and her contribution has been more widely recognized over time.

Her story is remembered today not only for the science itself, but also for the perseverance and talent behind it. She is often celebrated as a pioneer for both women in science and Black scientists in American history.