Jesse Jarue Mark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jesse Jarue Mark
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| Born | 1906 |
| Died | 1971 |
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Jesse Jarue Mark (born 1906, died 1971) was an important American scientist. He was one of the first African-Americans to earn a PhD degree in botany, which is the study of plants. He likely earned the first botany PhD at Iowa State University. He also taught there and received a special scholarship.
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Early Life of Jesse Mark
Jesse Jarue Mark was born in 1906 in Apple Springs, Texas. This town was quite small. In 1896, its school had only 28 children. By World War I, the town had just 75 people. Sometimes, his name was accidentally spelled "Jessie" in old records. This led some people to think he was a woman.
Education and Career Journey
Jesse Mark went to Prairie View State College. This college is now known as Prairie View A&M University. It is a historically Black college. He earned his first degree there in 1929.
Advanced Studies and Teaching
Mark continued his studies at Iowa State University (ISU). He earned his master's degree in 1931. After that, he became a professor at Kentucky State Industrial College. This college is now called Kentucky State University. He also kept doing research at ISU. This research was part of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. This special research program started in 1888.
Earning a PhD and Key Research
Mark received his PhD from ISU in 1935. A PhD is the highest university degree. His important research was about how plants survive cold weather. It was titled "The relation of reserves to cold resistance in alfalfa." This work was published in 1936.
For his research, Mark studied six types of Grimm alfalfa plants. These plants were known to handle cold differently. He carefully looked at samples from 50 plants of each type. This helped him understand how they resisted cold.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1935 and 1936, Mark was a Rockefeller Agriculture Fellow. This was a special scholarship for important agricultural research. Jesse Mark passed away on February 20, 1971. He was sixty-five years old. He is buried in the Nigton Memorial Park Cemetery in Texas.
