By Zoe Guo — Correspondent

(1921-2003)

Marie Maynard Daly was an African American biochemist from Queens, New York. She is best known for being the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Despite the challenges of being a woman in a predominantly male field, Daly persevered throughout college and graduated magna cum laude from Queens College. As a scientist, Daly studied the effect of histones, a nuclear protein, and published many papers on the subject, one of which would go on to be cited by scientists James Watson and Francis Crick when they discovered the structure of DNA in 1953. Her most well-known research was on how diet and cholesterol were related to heart attacks. Although much of her personal life is unknown, Daly’s influence lives on. At Queens College, she created a scholarship fund in her father’s name for African American students at Queens College pursuing chemistry and physics majors. Additionally, in 2016, the Dr. Marie M. Daly Academy of Excellence in New York (known as PS360Q) was founded in her name. Her granddaughter, Carly Reid, shared in an interview with the American Chemical Society that she admired Daly’s courage. “…to know that she came from such adversity to get to the point where she is now, it’s incredible. Absolutely incredible,” said Reid.

Bibliography

Burrows, Ted. “Marie Daly Celebration | Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences.” Albert Einstein College of Medicine, https://www.einsteinmed.edu/education/phd/current-students/events/Marie-Daly-Celebration.aspx. Accessed 13 February 2024.

Collins, Sibrina Nichelle, et al. “Marie Maynard Daly: Showcasing Support for Women in STEM.” Undark Magazine, 7 August 2017, https://undark.org/2017/08/07/unsung-marie-maynard-daly-women-stem/. Accessed 13 February 2024.

Huizen, Jennifer. “Who was Dr. Marie Maynard Daly?” Medical News Today, 12 February 2021, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dr-marie-maynard-daly-the-first-black-woman-with-a-phd-in-chemistry. Accessed 13 February 2024.

Lomidze, Sally, director. Dr. Marie M. Daly: Chemistry Pioneer. American Chemical Society, June 13, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=823L6n0NTvg. Accessed 13 February 2024.

PS 360Q PTA. PS 360Q PTA, https://ps360qpta.ptboard.com/. Accessed 13 February 2024.

Science History Institute. “Marie Maynard Daly.” Science History Institute, Science History Institute: Museum and Library, https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/marie-maynard-daly/. Accessed 13 February 2024.