Carolyn Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carolyn Beatrice Parker
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| Born | November 18, 1917 |
| Died | March 17, 1966 (aged 48) Gainesville, Florida, US
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Carolyn Beatrice Parker (born November 18, 1917 – died March 17, 1966) was an amazing physicist. From 1943 to 1947, she worked on the Dayton Project. This was a secret research project focused on plutonium. It was part of the larger Manhattan Project. This project aimed to develop atomic weapons during World War II.
Carolyn Parker was one of the few African American scientists working on this important project. After her work there, she became a physics professor at Fisk University.
She earned two master's degrees. One was in mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1941. The other was in physics from MIT in 1951. Her family believes she was close to getting her PhD in physics from MIT. Sadly, she developed leukemia and passed away at age 48. Leukemia was a known risk for people working on the Dayton Project.
Carolyn Parker is known as the first African-American woman to earn a postgraduate degree in physics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Carolyn Beatrice Parker was born in Gainesville, Florida. Her birthday was November 18, 1917. Her father, Julius A. Parker, was a successful doctor and pharmacist. He graduated from Meharry Medical College. This was the first medical school in the South for African-Americans. Her mother was Della Ella Murrell Parker.
Carolyn had five siblings. Almost all of them earned degrees in science or math. For example, her sister Mary had a master's in mathematics. Her brother Julius Jr. had a master's in chemistry. This shows how smart and dedicated her family was to education.
Carolyn graduated with high honors from Fisk University in 1938. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. Then, in 1941, she received her Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Michigan.
She continued her studies at Ohio State University from 1946 to 1947. In 1951, she earned another master's degree. This one was in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her family said she finished her PhD coursework at MIT around 1952 or 1953. However, she died from leukemia before she could finish her final paper. This illness was likely caused by her work with radiation.
Career and Research
Before her secret project work, Parker taught in public schools. She taught in Rochelle, Florida from 1938 to 1939. Then she taught in Gainesville, Florida from 1939 to 1940. She also taught in Newport News, Virginia from 1941 to 1942. From 1942 to 1943, she was a physics and math instructor. This was at Bluefield State College.
From 1943 to 1947, Parker worked as a research physicist. She was at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. This was for the Dayton Project. This project was a top-secret part of the Manhattan Project. Its goal was to develop atomic weapons during World War II. The work continued into the Cold War.
The Monsanto Chemical Company led the research. They focused on using polonium to start atomic explosions. Carolyn's sister, Juanita, said Carolyn's work was so secret. She couldn't even talk about it with her own family.
In 1947, Parker became an assistant professor of physics. She taught at Fisk University in Tennessee. She was also a member of several important science groups. These included the American Physical Society.
Later Life and Legacy
Carolyn Parker's family believes her leukemia was caused by radiation. This is because leukemia is a known risk for people exposed to polonium. Workers on the Dayton Project had regular tests. These tests checked for polonium exposure.
In 2000, a special program was created. It was called the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. This program recognized leukemia as an illness. It could be compensated for workers on the Dayton Project. This was if they were monitored for polonium.
Carolyn Parker passed away in Gainesville, Florida. She died on March 17, 1966, at age 48. She was a Roman Catholic.
In 2020, a special honor was given to Carolyn Parker. An elementary school and a park in Gainesville were renamed after her. This happened during the international Black Lives Matter protests. These protests highlighted the importance of Black lives and history. The school and park were renamed Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary School and Park. This was to celebrate her achievements.
Further information
- Carolyn Beatrice Parker is listed in: Gates LH Jr, Burkett NH, Burkett RK. Black biographical dictionaries, 1790–1950 [microform].
- Google Scholar records an incomplete citation to this study: Parker, Carolyn Beatrice. Range Distribution of 122 Mev (pi) and (pi−) Mesons in Brass. 1953.
See also
In Spanish: Carolyn Parker para niños
