Percy Lavon Julian synthesized physostigmine for treatment of glaucoma and cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Invention Economic Impact:
His synthesis of cortisone reduced the price of cortisone from hundreds of dollars per drop for natural cortisone to a few cents per gram. This allowed for a greater economies of scale, because as you drive production up, per unit cost goes down.  Thereby allowing one to have larger sales volume of the drug because it can meet greater market reach and demand, (demand for the need of an affective but less costly drug), and thereby more profit for drug manufacturers.  Thus greater need for more workers.  More workers in the economy means greater demand for cars, clothes, housing, etc.  And THUS a more robust GNP and stronger America.

Preparation of Cortisone
Cortisone
Patent Number(s) 2,752,339

Born in Montgomery, Alabama, the grandson of a former slave, Julian had limited schooling because Montgomery provided no public education for blacks after the eighth grade. He entered DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, as a 'sub-freshman' and, though ill-prepared, graduated in 1920 as class valedictorian with Phi Beta Kappa honors.

Advised against pursuing a graduate education because of his race, Julian went to Fisk University to teach chemistry. In 1923, with an Austin Fellowship in Chemistry, he earned a master's degree from Harvard University.

After teaching at West Virginia State College and Howard University, Julian received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Vienna in 1931. He returned to DePauw University, where his international reputation was established in 1935 by synthesizing physostigmine, a drug treatment for glaucoma, (from the calabar bean).

Despite scientific acclaim, DePauw University denied him a professorship because of his race. During the next 17 years, Julian was director of research at the Glidden Company, a paint and varnish manufacturer. He developed a commercial process for isolating and preparing soya bean protein, which could be used to coat and size paper, to create cold water paints, and to size textiles.

During World War II Julian used soya protein to produce 'AeroFoam'-a substance that suffocates gasoline and oil fires. His other inventions included a fire-extinguishing foam for gasoline and oil fires.

Julian went on to synthesize the female and male hormones, progesterone and testosterone, by extracting sterols from soybean oil. He was noted most for his synthesis of cortisone, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

LINKS:

1. Black Inventor.com
2. Wikipedia
3. Chemical Heritage Foundation
4. National Academy of Sciences