Alma Levant Hayden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alma Levant Hayden
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Alma L. Hayden, 1952 at NIH
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Alma Levant
March 27, 1927 |
| Died | August 2, 1967 (aged 40) |
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| Known for | Exposing chemical composition of Krebiozen |
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| Fields | Chemistry |
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Alma Levant Hayden (born March 30, 1927 – died August 2, 1967) was an American chemist. She was one of the first African-American women to become a scientist at a science agency in Washington, D.C. She started working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 1950s.
Alma Hayden earned a master's degree in chemistry from Howard University. She became an expert in spectrophotometry. This is a way to measure how substances absorb light. She wrote many articles about using infrared and other methods to study chemicals. In 1963, Hayden became the Chief of the Spectrophotometer Research Branch at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She might have been the first African-American scientist there. She became well-known in 1963 for leading a team that found out what was in Krebiozen. This was a very expensive drug thought to fight cancer, but it was controversial.
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Alma Hayden's Early Life and School
Alma Levant was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 30, 1927. She finished her studies with high honors in 1947. She went to South Carolina State College. This was a college mainly for Black students in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
At first, Alma wanted to be a nurse. But she found chemistry so interesting that she decided to stick with it. She then earned her master's degree in chemistry from Howard University.
Alma Hayden's Science Career
Alma Hayden started her career at the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, which is part of the NIH. In 1952, a photo was taken of her working there. It showed her using a method called paper chromatography. This technique helps separate and identify chemicals. She was spraying a reagent (a chemical substance) on liquids. This helped her find chemicals that are building blocks for steroids.
In the mid-1950s, Hayden moved to the FDA. She might have been the first person of color to work as a scientist there. At that time, some people were hesitant to hire African-Americans for scientific roles. This was because scientists might need to speak in court. There were worries about how this would be received in some parts of the U.S. By 1963, Hayden became the Chief of the Spectrophotometer Research Branch. This branch was part of the Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
Finding Out What Krebiozen Was
In 1962, after the Thalidomide tragedy, new rules were made. The Kefauver Harris Amendment gave the FDA more power to make sure drugs were safe. With these new rules, the FDA wanted to find out what was in Krebiozen. This was a very expensive alternative cancer treatment that caused a lot of debate.
Alma Hayden gave her students the job of comparing images of Krebiozen. They used a spectrometer, which is a tool that measures light. They checked if Krebiozen's images matched any of the 20,000 images the FDA had on file. On September 3, 1963, they quickly found a match. It was a common substance called creatine. Creatine is found in the body at much higher levels than in Krebiozen. Studies had also shown that creatine had no effect on cancer in animals.
Three different science teams, including scientists from MIT, studied Krebiozen. They used spectrophotometry and crystallography to confirm the findings. The discovery was announced at a press conference. Alma Hayden's report about Krebiozen is written in the U.S. Congressional Record.
Alma Hayden's Family Life
Alma Hayden married Alonzo R. Hayden, who was also a research chemist at the NIH. Alonzo Hayden was from West Virginia. He had a PhD from the University of Wisconsin. He also studied at Howard University. Alonzo worked at the NIH from 1952 to 1958. He also worked for the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, MD.
Alma and Alonzo Hayden had two children, Michael and Andrea. Alma Hayden passed away from cancer on August 2, 1967. Alonzo Hayden died from colon cancer on March 21, 1993, in Yonkers, NY.
See also
In Spanish: Alma Levant Hayden para niños
