Johnnie Hines Watts Prothro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnnie Hines Watts Prothro
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Johnnie Hines Watts
February 28, 1922 Atlanta, Georgia
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| Died | June 6, 2009 (aged 87) Decatur, Georgia
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Spelman College Columbia University University of Chicago |
| Occupation | Nutritionist |
| Spouse(s) | Charles E. Prothro |
Johnnie Hines Watts Prothro (born February 28, 1922 – died June 6, 2009) was an important American nutritionist. She worked in the Southern United States during a time of big changes. These changes included the end of racial segregation and Jim Crow laws. She also saw the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Dr. Prothro was one of the first African American nutritionists and food scientists.
Early Life and Schooling
Johnnie Hines Watts was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 28, 1922. At that time, the South had strict rules about racial segregation. She finished high school when she was 15 years old.
She then went to Spelman College, which is a college mainly for Black students. In 1941, she earned her degree with honors in Home Economics. Her first job was teaching about food and nutrition. She taught at the all-Black Booker T. Washington High School from 1941 to 1945.
After that, she continued her education. She earned a master's degree from Columbia University in 1946. She taught chemistry at Southern University in Louisiana for one year. Then, she moved to Chicago to get her Ph.D. She studied at the University of Chicago and earned her Ph.D. in 1952. Her research was about how certain chemicals in vegetables change.
Career and Achievements
Dr. Prothro worked as a professor at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. She taught chemistry and home economics there from 1952 to 1963. However, she faced a lot of racial unfairness and difficulties living in the South. Because of this, she and her family decided to move north.
From 1963 to 1967, she was a professor at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. In 1968, Dr. Prothro returned to Tuskegee University. She became the head of the Home Economics and Food Administration Department. She also did research at the Carver Foundation until 1980.
Later, in 1975, she became a clinical professor at Georgia State University. She finished her career as a professor in the Nutrition Department there from 1980 to 1989.
Dr. Prothro was a respected teacher and researcher. She was also a certified nutritionist. One of her students, Bernadine Tolbert, said Dr. Prothro was "a great teacher" who was very honest in her research.
Throughout her career, Dr. Prothro received many important grants. These grants helped her study nutrition. She got funding from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also received grants from the National Dairy Council. She wrote over 20 papers about how our bodies use important nutrients from food.
Awards and Recognition
While at the University of Chicago, Dr. Prothro received several awards. These included the Laverne Noyes Scholarship and the Evaporated Milk Association Award. She also won the Borden Award from the American Home Economics Association.
Dr. Prothro earned many fellowships and grants for her research. President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD). She was the first woman and the first African-American to be on this board.
She was also a member of many important scientific groups. These included Sigma Xi, Beta Kappa Chi, and the New York Academy of Sciences. She was also part of the Institute of Food Technologists and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2003, Spelman College gave her an honorary degree. This was to honor her leadership in research and her community work. Georgia State University also offers an award named after her.
Personal Life
While living in Chicago, Johnnie married Charles E. Prothro. They had one daughter together.
After she retired, Dr. Prothro focused on cultural activities and volunteering. She also enjoyed exercising. She would wake up early to walk three miles in a park. She loved going to the theater and taking care of her flower beds. She also spent hours at the public library reading for fun.
Dr. Johnnie Hines Watts Prothro passed away from cancer on June 6, 2009, in Decatur, Georgia.]
