Roger Arliner Young

1
Roger Arliner Young

• By Ashley Schartner

2
Roger Arliner Young

• Born in Clifton Forge, Virginia in 1889
• Moved with her family to Burgettstown,
  Pennsylvania, where she graduated from high
  school in 1916
• Entered Howard University to major in music

3
College years

• Young was lively and vivacious
• Participated actively in the colleges Glee Club,
  the Young Womens Christian Association, and the
  Howard University Players
• She believed that not failure, but low aim is a
  crime.

4
College years Cont.

• Young didnt enroll in a science course until
  spring of 1921
• Took general biology taught by Ernest Everett
  Just
• This changed her career plans and her life
• In 1923, Young earned a bachelors degree in
  Science

5
Just as a mentor

• After graduating, Just hired Young as an
  assistant professor of zoology in his department
• His reasons for choosing her were unclear
• She had only taken two science courses and one
  general zoology course
• He became her mentor

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First accomplishments

• In 1924, she published her 1st article
  (Publication of her paramecium work)
• Her research received both national and
  international recognition
• Just tried unsuccessfully to obtain funding for
  her to attend graduate school

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Further schooling

• Summer of 1924, Young enrolled at the University
  of Chicago on a part-time basis
• 1926, she earned her masters degree in zoology
• She was elected to the Sigma Xi honorary society
• This was an unusual achievement for a
  non-doctoral candidate

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Youngs Research

• Between 1927 and 1936, Young spent every summer
  doing research at the Marine Biological
  Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts
• In 1927 and 1928, she accompanied Just as his
  research assistant
• Helped him in his work on fertilization
• Just called her a real genius in Zoology

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Woods Hole

• Young was the 1st Black woman to join the Woods
  Hole scientific community
• In 1929, Young had secured a place at Woods Hole
  so that her scientific reputation wasnt entirely
  dependent on her work with Just

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Justs departure

• Spring 1929, Young stood in for Just as head of
  the zoology department
• She performed the teaching duties that were
  vacant while Just was away
• She was awarded a General Education board
  fellowship
• Worked with Frank Lillie, University of Chicago
  Embryologist

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Justs return

• Young went to University of Chicago to study with
  Lillie and prepare for her qualifying
  examinations
• Jan. 1930, Just returned to Europe, causing
  things to fall apart for Young
• Failed the qualifying examination
• Denied acceptance into the doctoral program and
  left Chicago immediately
• She was worn out and overworked

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Youngs hardships

• Experiencing other problems
• Physical, emotional and financial
• She had done permanent damage to her eyes while
  doing experiments using ultraviolet rays
• She was the sole support for her helpless mom
• Due to Justs disappointment in Young, their
  friendship and his mentorship of her ended

13
New strides

• Pulled herself together
• Returned to Woods Hole, securing a place in the
  lab with V.L. Heilbrunn of the University of
  Pennsylvania
• Followed up the marine egg study she had pursued
  with Just (1920s)

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Youngs disappointment

• Spring 1936 Just fired Young in an attempt to
  tighten up the zoology departments budget
• During this time, Howards power elite wasnt
  very supportive of women.
• Rumors spreading about her and Just having an
  affair

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Youngs achievements

• 1930-1936 she engaged in publishable research
  at the Marine Biological Laboratory with
  Heilbrunn and Costello
• 1935-1938 she published four papers
• 1937 Heilbrunn accepted her into the doctoral
  program at the University of Pennsylvania

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Youngs Achievements cont.

• She was the first Black woman to receive a
  doctoral degree in Zoology, from the University
  of Pennsylvania in 1940.
• Dissertation was, The Indirect Effects of
  Roentgen Rays on Certain Marine Eggs.
• After earning doctorate, she secured an assistant
  professorship at North Carolina College for
  Negroes, in Raleigh
• Moved to Shaw University and became head of the
  Biology department

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Career decline

• Financial problems worsened
• Decline in research opportunities
• Couldnt afford to go to Woods Hole during
  summers
• Research ended, now only a teacher
• 1947 left Shaw and returned to North Carolina
  College as a Professor of Biology

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Career Decline Cont.

• 1953 Mother died which accelerated her
  emotional breakdown
• Difficult for her to hold a position for even
  moderate amounts of time
• Gossip circling about her mental state

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Final Attempt

• After securing a temporary position at Jackson
  State, her condition deteriorated. Had to quit
  and check herself into the Mississippi Mental
  Asylum in Whitefield
• December 1962 she was discharged
• Last position temporary visiting lecturer in
  Biology at Southern University in New Orleans
• Couldnt truly function on her own
• Because she never married, she died poor and
  alone Nov. 9, 1964 in New Orleans

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Contributions to Science

• She performed many studies
• On the hydration and dehydration of living cells
• On the effects of direct and indirect radiation
  on sea urchin eggs
• On the structures that control the salt
  concentration in paramecium
• She also published several books and 4 papers

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Presently

• Her contributions further increase the study of
  marine biology, showing the need to improve and
  secure marine environments
• Information from her studies will be used to
  further explore and understand how living cells
  react with other minerals and substances