Alice Ball

Alice Augusta Ball was born on July 24, 1892, in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. She came from a family that valued education, photography, and intellectual curiosity. At a time when both racism and sexism limited opportunities for women of color in science, Ball pursued chemistry with remarkable determination and became one of the most promising young scientists of her generation.

She studied pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy at the University of Washington, where she showed exceptional talent in laboratory research. She later moved to Hawaii to continue her studies at the College of Hawaii, now the University of Hawai‘i. There, she became the first woman and the first Black person to earn a master’s degree from the school in chemistry. She was also appointed as an instructor, making her one of the first women to teach chemistry there.

Ball is best known for developing the first effective treatment for leprosy, now called Hansen’s disease. At the time, leprosy patients were often isolated and had few treatment options. Doctors had long used chaulmoogra oil as a possible remedy, but the oil was thick, unstable, and difficult for the body to absorb, especially when taken by mouth or injected. Ball found a way to chemically modify the oil so that it could be injected and absorbed more effectively by patients. Her method became known as the “Ball Method,” and it was the best available treatment for leprosy for years before newer drugs were developed.

Her discovery had a major impact in Hawaii and beyond, helping many patients manage the disease and in some cases leave forced isolation. However, Ball did not live long enough to see the full impact of her work. She died on December 31, 1916, at just 24 years old. After her death, another scientist attempted to continue and publish the work without properly crediting her, and for years her role was overlooked.

Today, Alice Ball is recognized as a pioneering chemist whose work changed the treatment of leprosy and whose legacy also represents the struggle of Black women to be acknowledged in science. Though her life was short, her contribution left a lasting mark on medical history.