James Andrew Harris

The first black american to be credited for contributions for finding new elements,

James Andrew Harris was involved with finding elements 104 (Rutherfordium) and 105 (Dubnium). Harris graduated from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin and received an MPA from California State University, before he joined the Army. Harris then worked at UC Berkeley, creating targets of purified californium that would be blasted with other elements to create new ones. Harris was said to have made targets that were “the best ever made for heavy element research.” Outside of work, he was a PTA member and volunteered with the Big Brothers of America. He also visited elementary schools in the Bay area to talk with students about working in STEM. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity,

You can read and watch more about Harris’ contributions to the scientific community at the links below.