Marie Maynard Daly (April 16, 1921 – October 28, 2003) was an American biochemist. She was the first Caribbean American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry (awarded by Columbia University in 1947). Dalys father had immigrated from the British West Indies, found work as a postal clerk, and eventually married Helen Page of Washington, D.C. They lived in New York, and Daly was born and raised in Corona, Queens. She often visited her maternal grandparents in Washington, where she was able to read about scientists and their achievements in her grandfather’s extensive library. She was especially impressed by Paul de Kruif’s The Microbe Hunters, a work which partially influenced her decision to become a scientist. Daly’s father, who had attended Cornell University with intentions of becoming a chemist, was unable to complete his education due to a lack of funds. His daughter continued her father’s legacy by majoring in chemistry. Many years later, Daly started a Queens College scholarship fund in her father’s honor to assist minority students majoring in chemistry or physics
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:41:56 +0000
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