Jewel Plummer Cobb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jewel Plummer Cobb
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| Born | January 17, 1924 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | January 1, 2017 (aged 92) Maplewood, New Jersey, U.S.
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Jewel Plummer Cobb (January 17, 1924 – January 1, 2017) was an amazing American scientist. She was a biologist, a cancer researcher, and a leader in universities. Jewel Cobb worked hard to find cures for melanoma, a type of skin cancer. She also strongly believed that more women and students of color should go to college. She created special programs to help them succeed in their studies.
Contents
Early Life and Discoveries
Jewel Isadora Plummer was born in Chicago. She was the only child of Frank and Carriebel Plummer. Her mother, Carriebel, was a physical education and dance teacher. Jewel's father, Frank, was the first Black person to become a doctor from Cornell University. He specialized in skin care. Jewel's grandfather was a freed slave who became a pharmacist.
Jewel grew up in a family that loved learning. Her father had many science books. She went to schools where students of all races studied together. Jewel became interested in science when she was in high school. She loved looking through a microscope in biology class. Books about tiny living things, like The Microbe Hunters, also fascinated her.
College Adventures
In 1942, Jewel started college at the University of Michigan. But she didn't like that African-American students had separate housing. So, she moved to Talladega College in Alabama. Even though she had to start her college studies over, she finished in just three years! She earned her degree in biology in 1944.
After Talladega, Jewel wanted to go to graduate school at New York University. At first, she was denied a scholarship, possibly because of her race. But after an interview, she got the scholarship. She earned her master's degree in 1947 and her PhD in 1950. Her PhD research looked at how skin pigment forms. In 1949, she also became a researcher at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory. Years later, in 2021, a road near the lab was named "Jewel Cobb Road" to honor her.
A Career of Impact
After getting her PhD, Jewel Cobb taught biology at New York University. She also worked at Harlem Hospital on cancer research.
Teaching and Research Roles
From 1952 to 1954, Cobb taught anatomy at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She then returned to New York. She was a professor at NYU's medical school and a guest lecturer at Hunter College.
From 1960 to 1969, Cobb led the biology lab at Sarah Lawrence College. There, she continued her important research.
Leading at Connecticut College
In 1969, Jewel Cobb became a professor and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Connecticut College. She was the first Black Dean in the college's history. She wanted to bring more Black students and teachers to the college.
While there, she started a Black Scholarship program. This program helped many Black students get financial aid for college. This idea inspired other universities to create similar programs.
Cobb also created a special program for minority students who wanted to become doctors or dentists. It gave them extra help and resources. Thanks to this program, students were accepted into top graduate schools like Yale University and Georgetown University.
Jewel Cobb worked very long hours. She did lab research early in the morning. Then she did administrative work, and taught classes in the afternoons.
Marine Biological Laboratory Connection
Jewel Cobb's research at the Marine Biological Laboratory started when she was a student. She studied how cells divide. This led to her later work on how hormones, light, and medicines affect cell division. She loved Woods Hole so much that she bought a second home there.
Dean at Douglass College
In 1976, Cobb became a dean and professor at Douglass Residential College at Rutgers University. She wanted to focus on helping women in higher education.
While at Douglass, she was chosen to attend a global conference in Italy. It was about the future of college for women. In 1978, President Carter also nominated her to a board that helps decide who gets Fulbright scholarships.
President at California State University, Fullerton
In 1981, Jewel Cobb became the President of California State University, Fullerton. She quickly worked to improve the campus.
She raised money to build an Engineering and Computer Science Building. She also got funds for the Ruby Gerontology Center, which was the first building funded by private donations. She even secured money for the first student dorms on campus. These dorms were later named in her honor. Cobb also helped build a hotel near campus, which allowed funds to be used for a new sports complex.
In 1990, she had to retire because of a rule about age. But even after retiring, she continued to help students. She led a program that helped middle and high school students from tough backgrounds pursue careers in science and engineering.
Important Research
Jewel Cobb's research focused on how melanin (skin pigment) relates to skin damage. She also studied how hormones, ultraviolet light, and chemotherapy drugs affect cell division.
She made a big discovery: the drug methotrexate could treat certain skin cancers, lung cancers, and childhood leukemia. This drug is still used today to treat many cancers and other diseases. Cobb was also the first to publish findings on another drug, actinomycin D, and how it affects cells.
She received grants from organizations like the American Cancer Society to support her work. She traveled to international cancer conferences in London and Moscow. She also spent seven months in Italy continuing her cell growth research.
Throughout her career, she worked with other famous researchers. Her mentors, James R. Hayden and M.J. Kopac, greatly influenced her. In 1974, she was elected to the Institute of Medicine in the National Academy of Sciences for her research achievements.
Helping Society
Jewel Cobb was a Vice President for the 21st Century Foundation. This group helps Black institutions that work on issues in the Black community. They create programs for economic, educational, and community development.
She was also part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This group supports women and people of color in science. Cobb was recognized by the Oakland Museum for her contributions to science. The museum wanted to show the achievements of people of color in science.
In 1971, Jewel Cobb gave a speech at Wheaton College. She called for women's rights and Black rights movements to work together. She spoke about the need for equal opportunities for women and for public childcare.
Lasting Legacy
Jewel Cobb's ideas about helping women in science were written in her 1979 paper, Filters for Women in Science. She used an analogy of a filter to explain how limitations affect women's careers in science.
Her dedication to creating programs and resources to help more minority students succeed is a huge part of her legacy. A former student, Timothy Yarboro, said, "I would not have become a doctor. Because of her, I knew it was possible."
Jewel Cobb passed away on January 1, 2017, at the age of 92. She is remembered for her groundbreaking science and her tireless work to make education and science open to everyone.
Honors and Awards
- Medical College of Pennsylvania
- Northern University
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Rutgers University
- Tuskegee University
- Reginald Wilson Award
- Candace Award, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, 1982
- 1999 Achievement in Excellence Award from the Center for Excellence in Education
Memberships
- Human Resource Commission
- Sigma Xi
- National Academy of Sciences (Institute of Medicine)
- National Science Foundation
- Allied Corporation's board of directors
- Tissue Culture Association of the Education Committee (1972-1974)
- Marine Biological Laboratory
- Board of Trustees for the Institute of Education Management
