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THE EXTRAORDINARY
PERCY
JULIAN
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Rebecca J. Anderson, PhD
Percy Lavon Julian postage stamp, 1993, USPS Black Heritage® Stamps.
On April 23, 1999, the American Chemical Society presented a plaque to DePauw University, designating the institution’s science center as a National Historic Chemical Landmark. The plaque recognized the pioneering research of Percy Julian, who “made physostigmine readily available for the treatment of glaucoma” (1). Today, much better drugs are available for glaucoma patients, and physostigmine is mostly
The Pharmacologist • September 2018
a historical footnote. But in the 1930s, this was a major scientific achievement. It also marked the beginning of Julian’s extraordinary career. No matter how challenging the problem in his personal or professional life, Percy Julian always succeeded. He had inherited academic prowess from his father and, as a child, learned one guiding principle from his grandfather: “There is always a way” (2).