Benjamin Franklin Scott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Franklin Scott
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| Born | October 19, 1922 |
| Died | October 16, 2000 (aged 77) |
| Known for | Manhattan Project |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
Benjamin Franklin Scott (1922–2000) was an American chemist. He was one of the African American scientists who worked on the important Manhattan Project. This top-secret project took place at the University of Chicago during World War II.
Early Life and School
Benjamin F. Scott was born in Florence, South Carolina, on October 19, 1922. His parents were Benny and Viola Scott. He had two older sisters, Mary and Rosa.
Scott went to Morehouse College, a historically Black college. He earned his first degree there in 1942. Later, he became the president of the college's Alumni Club. In 1950, he earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago.
His Work as a Scientist
During World War II, from 1943 to 1946, Scott worked at the Met Lab. This was a special laboratory at the University of Chicago. He was part of the team that measured and tested things. He likely helped with separating different types of atoms.
Scott was one of fifteen African American scientists on the Manhattan Project. This huge project was started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942. A year before, President Roosevelt had made it illegal to treat people unfairly in defense jobs because of their race.
Scott once told a newspaper that the project was a success in both science and how people worked together. He said that working with white people helped keep a fair and good spirit.
After the war, from 1946 to 1950, Scott also made Geiger counters. These are tools used to find and measure radiation. From 1949 to 1963, he worked as a radiochemist. This means he studied chemicals that give off radiation. He later became the chief chemist for a company called Nuclear Instrument Company.
In 1963, Scott started working as a Technical Director in Boston. While there, he wrote many articles for science journals. He also wrote reports for the United States Atomic Energy Commission. His research often focused on how to measure radiation and how uranium-235 gives off energy. Uranium-235 is a key element used to power nuclear reactions.
Later Career and Family
After his science career, Scott became the executive director of a group for Black mortgage bankers. Later, in 1979, he moved back to Sumter, South Carolina. He taught at the University of South Carolina for a while. He also taught at Sumter High School and Hillcrest Middle School in 1985.
In 1969, Scott published his first book, called The Coming of The Black Man.
Scott married Bessie Joyce Sampson. They had a son named Christopher Jehu Scott in 1950. Later, they had a daughter, Joyce Scott Burton-Edwards.
Benjamin Franklin Scott passed away on October 16, 2000. He was 77 years old.
