Black History Month 2018

old_timer · Feb 25, 2018

David Crosthwait

May 27, 1898 – February 25, 1976

Engineer, inventor; expert at designing heating and ventilation systems

Highlights:

Credited with 39 US patents and 80 foreign patents focusing on heating systems, temperature regulating devices, and vacuum pumps
Commissioned to design heating systems for prominent large buildings such as Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall
Authored an early reference book on heating and cooling systems

old_timer · Feb 27, 2018

Samuel Kountz, Jr

October 30, 1930 – December 23, 1981

Surgeon; pioneer of kidney transplants

Highlights:

Performed the first kidney transplant between two patients who were not identical twins
Co-designer of a medical device that preserves donated kidneys for 50 hours until surgery can take place; the device is now standard equipment in hospitals all over the world
Authored nearly 100 papers on kidney transplants and renal science
Performed 500 kidney transplants (this was at a time when it was not a common operation)
Discovered that doses of a corticosteroid drug could reduce the odds of a transplanted kidney being rejected

old_timer · Feb 27, 2018

Jane C Wright

November 30, 1919 – February 19, 2013

Oncologist, medical researcher; pioneer in the use of chemotherapy to treat cancer

Highlights:

Studied different anticancer agents, including using different dosages and administering the drugs sequentially for effective treatment with minimal side effects
Devised different delivery methods, such as using a catheter in the treatment of kidney cancer
Developed a technique to use human tissue culture in experiments
Treated breast cancer and skin cancer with methotrexate

old_timer · Feb 28, 2018

David Blackwell

April 24, 1919 – July 8, 2010

Mathematician, Statistician; influential researcher across many subjects including game theory

Highlights:

Received the National Medal of Science for his contributions to probability theory, mathematical statistics, information theory, and mathematical logic
Several things are named after him such as the Rao-Blackwell theorem, the Blackwell Channel, and Blackwell games
Example of a "game": determining the most opportune moment to attack during a two person duel
Co-authored Theory of Games and Statistical Decisions (1954) and authored Basic Statistics (1969)