Bettye Washington Greene, Ph.D. (1935-1995)
The first Black American female Ph.D. industrial chemist.
Bettye Washington Greene was born in 1935 in Palestine, Texas. Victoria Bruce (1) writes that, fortunately for Washington Greene, her high school became a part of an innovative program. The program was experience-based, approached learning via problem-solving, and involved community projects. It helped Washington Greene to become a successful scientist.
When she graduated from high school in the early 1950s, professional pathways for women were mostly teaching or nursing. Washington Greene was not interested in these options. She attended Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), a coeducational, historically Black college and graduated with a bachelor’ degree in chemistry in 1955.
Soon after graduation, Washington Greene married William Greene, an engineer. They had three children. For several years, Washington Greene was taking care of the family. In the early 1960s, she decided to continue her education. Her mother cared for the kids while Washington Greene was conducting Ph.D. research in physical chemistry at Wayne State University in Detroit. Washington Greene defended her dissertation, titled “Determination of Particle Size Distributions in Emulsions by Light Scattering” in 1965. She became the fifth Black American woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry in the U.S.
The same year, Washington Greene was hired by the Dow Chemical Company. She was the first Black American female Ph.D. chemist hired by any chemical company. The company wanted to keep the family together. Not being able to find a position for an electrical engineer, they asked her husband, William Greene, if he would be interested in tinkering with a recent purchase from IBM, a computer. Greene became their computer expert.
Washington Green’s children were exposed to science daily. For example, instead of saying milk had spoiled, she would say it had coagulated. In her free time, she liked to listen to Ella Fitzgerald and Barbara Streisand.
Washington Greene’s work at Dow contributed to innovations in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints, coatings, and catalysts. She obtained three patents. Despite her success, she saw scientists she trained being promoted over her. Washington Green retired from Dow in 1990. Her career at Dow opened doors for other researchers of color (2).
References:
- Bettye Washington Greene, Ph.D. By Victoria Bruce. Available online.
- 100th National Historic Chemical Landmark honors Bettye Washington Greene. By Sophie Rovner, C&EN, Feb 26, 2024, p.36.