Sinah Estelle Kelley facts for kids

Sinah Estelle Kelley (April 23, 1916 – December 21, 1982) was an American chemist. She is best known for her important work in making large amounts of penicillin during and after World War II.

Early Life and Education

Sinah Estelle Kelley was born in New York City in 1916. Her father, William Melvin Kelley Sr., was an editor for a newspaper called the New York Amsterdam News. Her mother, Gladys Caution Kelley, worked as a probation officer.

Sinah went to the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City. She graduated from high school there in 1934. She then started studying science at Radcliffe College. During her summers, she also gained experience by working at Harlem Hospital.

A Chemist's Career

After finishing college in 1938, Sinah Kelley took more classes at New York University. She then started working in government laboratories. These labs were in different states like Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. This was during World War II.

Making Penicillin for Everyone

After the war, Sinah Kelley stayed in Peoria, Illinois. She joined a team that was working on making huge amounts of penicillin. Penicillin is a very important medicine that fights infections. Her work helped make sure there was enough penicillin for everyone who needed it.

She worked in a special lab section called the Fermentation Division. Here, she tested sugars and other things that came from a process called fermentation. Even though she didn't have an advanced degree, her work was so important that she was listed as an author on several scientific papers.

Working with Atomic Energy

In 1958, Sinah Kelley moved back to New York. She started working at a laboratory for the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Here, she studied the effects of strontium 90. This is a radioactive material. She worked on ways to make it stable using a method called flame photometry. She retired from this work in the 1970s.

Personal Life and Legacy

While living in Peoria, Sinah Kelley was the only African-American member of the Mayor's Interracial Committee. This committee worked to improve relationships between different racial groups in the city.

Sinah Estelle Kelley passed away in 1982 when she was 66 years old. Her important scientific papers and personal documents are kept at Emory University. They are part of the William Melvin Kelley Family Papers.