Jessie Isabelle Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jessie Isabelle Price
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Jessie Price and colleagues at the Duck Research Laboratory, Cornell University
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| Born | January 1, 1930 |
| Died | November 12, 2015 (aged 85) |
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Jessie Isabelle Price (born January 1, 1930 – died November 12, 2015) was a super smart scientist who studied tiny living things called microbes. She was a veterinary microbiologist, which means she focused on animal health. Jessie Price made a huge difference for duck farmers in the 1950s. She found out what caused a very serious disease in ducks and then created special shots, called vaccines, to protect them. She also developed vaccines for other bird diseases.
Jessie Price studied at Cornell University and worked at important places like the Cornell Duck Research Laboratory. Later, she worked at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. She was also a leader in science groups, helping other scientists.
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Early Life and School Days
Jessie Price was born in Montrose, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Teresa Price, raised her all by herself. They faced tough money problems. Jessie was the only African-American student in her class at school. There were only two other Black students in the whole school.
After finishing Montrose High School, she got accepted into Cornell University. She and her mom moved to Ithaca for a year. There, Jessie took advanced classes in math and English. She didn't have to pay for college because she lived in New York and had great grades. Jessie wanted to be a doctor, but it was too expensive. So, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in 1953.
Working to Study More
Her mentor, Dorsey Bruner, told her she should study even more after college. But again, money was a problem. Jessie worked for three years as a lab helper at Cornell's Veterinary College. She saved up money for more schooling.
From 1956 to 1959, she got help as a research assistant. She earned her Master's degree in 1958 and her PhD in 1959. Dr. Bruner was her supervisor. For her Master's project, she studied tiny organisms from chickens.
Solving the Duck Disease Mystery
For her PhD, Jessie Price solved a big problem for duck farmers. She found and grew the bacterium that caused a deadly disease in white pekin ducklings. This disease was killing many ducks at the time. Her important research was published by Cornell University in 1959.
Career and Later Life
After getting her PhD, Dr. Price started working at the Cornell Duck Research Laboratory. She worked there from 1959 to 1977. She also taught at Long Island University as a special professor.
Developing Vaccines for Ducks
Jessie worked hard to create a vaccine for the duck disease. She did many tests, mixing vaccinated and unvaccinated ducklings. She worked every single day and checked the ducks daily. In 1964, Ebony magazine wrote a big story about Jessie and her amazing work. They showed pictures of her developing vaccines in the lab and on the farm.
Jessie said her work was very demanding. The lab and the farm where the ducks lived were four miles apart. This made her busy days even harder.
In 1966, Jessie Price received a special travel grant. This allowed her to share her discoveries at a big science meeting in Moscow. By 1974, she had created a vaccine that could be injected. She then started looking into vaccines that ducks could take by mouth.
Helping Wildlife
In 1977, she moved to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. There, she studied how pollution and diseases affected wild animals, especially water birds.
Jessie was also very active in science groups. She led committees for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). She also helped with programs for minority students and women scientists. She was also the national president of Graduate Women in Science from 1974 to 1975.
Hobbies and Interests
Jessie Price loved dogs and even bred them. She had a Corgi that won prizes in the 1960s. She also enjoyed photography, music, and traveling.
Jessie Price passed away on November 12, 2015, in Madison. She was buried in Quoque Cemetery on Long Island.
Avian Disease Research and Vaccine Development
"New Duck Disease" was a serious sickness that mainly affected young ducklings. It had a very high death rate. In 1956, the United States Department of Agriculture said it was the "most important disease problem" for duck farmers. It could kill up to 75% of the ducks.
For her PhD, Jessie Price found and grew the Pasteurella anatipestifer bacterium. This was a super important step to create a vaccine.
While at the Cornell Duck Research Laboratory, she started making vaccines for Pasteurella anatipestifer in white pekin ducks. Throughout her career, she continued to work on vaccines for other bird diseases like avian cholera and TB. Some of her vaccines were even sold to companies. She worked with scientists from different countries. She published research on Pasteurella anatipestifer in pheasants, medicines for duckling infections, and Pasteurella multocida in wetlands and snow geese.
