This week’s #SundayScientistShoutout is Edward Bouchet (1852-1918)!

Bouchet was a physicist and educator and the first Black American to earn a Ph.D. from an American university in 1876.

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https://bit.ly/ed_nytime 

Bouchet was born in Connecticut to former slaves who worked as a porter at Yale College.

Bouchet attended Artisan Street Colored School, one of the only 3 schools in the area that accepted Black children.

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https://bit.ly/eb__bio 

Bouchet attended New Haven High School (1866-1870) and Hopkins School (1868-1870), where he graduated as the valedictorian.

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https://bit.ly/ed_mb 

He went on to attend Yale College for his undergraduate degree and graduated in 1874 with a B.A. as 6th in his class.

He was one of the first Black Americans to graduate from Yale College.

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https://bit.ly/eb_yale 

Bouchet went on to earn a Ph.D. in Physics in 1876 from Yale, with his dissertation title was "Measuring Refractive Indices"

Bouchet was of the first 20 Americans (of any race) to receive a Ph.D. in physics

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https://bit.ly/36NBawY 

The now Dr. Bouchet was unable to fund a college teaching position due to racial discrimination.

In 1876, he moved to teach physics & chemistry at the Philadelphia's Institute for Colored Youth for 26 years.
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In 1902, Bouchet left Philadelphia's Institute for Colored Youth and spent the next 14 years in a variety of positions...

1905-1908 - Director of Academics at St. Paul's Normal & Industrial School in Lawrenceville, Virginia

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1908-1913 - Principal & Teacher at Lincoln High School in Gallipolis, Ohio

1913-1916 - Faculty of Bishop College in its Marshall, Texas.

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https://bit.ly/eb_tgs 

In 1916, he fell ill and moved back to his childhood home in CT, where he lived out the rest of his time until passing in 1918 at the age of 66.

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https://bit.ly/eb_aps 

In 1988, The Edward Bouchet Abdus Salam Institute was founded by Professor Abdus Salam (Nobel Laureate) under the direction of the founding Chairman Charles S. Brown in Bouchet’s honor.

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https://ebasi.org/history.html 

This institute has several aims, including to provide collaborations between Africans and Americans to enhance the impact of science and technology on the sustainable development of the countries on the African continent.

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In 2005, Yale and Howard University founded the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society in his name.

This honors society has since grown to multiple universities around the US.

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https://bit.ly/eb_EBGHS 

Bouchet has a legacy that will live on for many generations!

Another great #SundayScientistShoutout who persevered through difficult times while still contributing to science.

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Read more about Bouchet here! - https://bit.ly/eb_aip