Dr. Mary Maynard Daly

the story of Dr. Mary Maynard Daly who rose to be a brilliant scientist, crossing the liminal colour and gender divides. Mary received the first African American woman’s Ph. D. in chemistry in the USA with personal dedication and love for science.

Some of the things that Daly did in early years were instilled by her family who supported her education. Her father, Ivan C. Daly, probably had the greatest impact on her, introducing her to the sciences. This encouragement made the young girl join the Hunter College High School that is recognized for its academic standards.

Queens College at the City University of New York is where Daly started her education in chemistry a year after in 1942. She marched on through all these barriers, on to come out with a Ph. D from New York University in 1947. Her research work served a significant role in the identification of the contents and function of the bloodstream particularly with cholesterol.

Thus, there is no doubt that Daly’s work greatly enriched the knowledge regarding cardiovascular health and the interconnection between diet, cholesterol, and heart disease. Her scholarship made her to be awarded a postdoctoral fellowship by the American Cancer Society which in turn led her to the Rockefeller Institute.

Unfortunately, Daly gave her last breathe at Forth Worth, Texas in 1996; nonetheless, her contribution to education cannot be overlooked. For more than 20 years at Howard University College of Medicine she taught and mentored students ones again with the emphasis on women and minorities which contribute to formation of the future scientists.

However, in addition to scientific activity, Daly was an example and promoter of equality and plurality in science. These characteristics of the personality and her continuous striving for further research have always encouraged the new generations of scientists.

The evidence of perseverance driving the scientific discovery of Biochemistry and medicine by Dr. Mary Maynard Daly is monumental. Her work done on cholesterol and heart has not lost its relevance in contemporary practices, and her active involvement in the dissemination of knowledge influenced the scientific community a lot. She remains a positive influence to any scientist in the making, especially to women in STEM.