First Black Woman to Earn PhD in Chemistry & Heart Disease Pioneer
April 16, 1921 – October 28, 2003
🇺🇸 United States Medicine & HealthcareMarie Maynard Daly was born on April 16, 1921, in Queens, New York, into a family that valued education despite limited financial resources. Her father, Ivan C. Daly, had been forced to abandon his own chemistry studies at Cornell University due to lack of money—a painful sacrifice that deeply influenced Marie's determination to pursue scientific education. Her mother, Helen Page Daly, was a homemaker who supported the family's educational aspirations and encouraged Marie's intellectual curiosity from an early age.
Growing up in the 1920s and 1930s as an African American girl with scientific interests meant confronting multiple layers of discrimination. Science was dominated by white men, and the few women who entered scientific fields faced significant barriers. For Black women, these obstacles were compounded by racial segregation, limited access to quality education, and pervasive assumptions that they were intellectually inferior. Yet Marie's family instilled in her the belief that education was the pathway to opportunity and that she should pursue her dreams regardless of societal prejudice.
Inspired by stories of Marie Curie and encouraged by her father's unfulfilled scientific ambitions, young Marie developed a passion for chemistry. She excelled in school, demonstrating exceptional aptitude in mathematics and science. Her academic achievements earned her admission to Queens College (now part of the City University of New York), where she pursued a bachelor's degree in chemistry—a field where women, particularly Black women, were extraordinarily rare.
Marie graduated magna cum laude from Queens College in 1942 with a degree in chemistry. This achievement during World War II opened unexpected opportunities—the war had created labor shortages as men entered military service, leading some institutions to hire qualified women for positions previously reserved for men. Daly took advantage of this temporary opening, working as a laboratory assistant at Queens College while saving money for graduate school.
In 1943, she began graduate studies at New York University, where she completed her master's degree in chemistry in just one year—an impressive feat that demonstrated both her intellectual abilities and her intense dedication. Her master's research focused on how chemicals are produced in the body, beginning her lifelong interest in biochemistry and metabolism.
With her master's degree completed, Daly set her sights on the ultimate academic credential: a doctorate. She was accepted into Columbia University's doctoral program in chemistry—a remarkable achievement given that Columbia, like most elite universities, had historically excluded African Americans and women from advanced study. At Columbia, she studied under Dr. Mary L. Caldwell, conducting research on how enzymes in the digestive system break down food into usable nutrients.
In 1947, Marie Maynard Daly completed her PhD in chemistry from Columbia University, becoming the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry in the United States. This groundbreaking achievement came at age 26, breaking barriers that had stood since the founding of American higher education. Her accomplishment was particularly significant because it occurred in the segregation era, when many universities still barred Black students entirely and when even integrated institutions made the environment hostile for students of color.
After earning her doctorate, Dr. Daly began a distinguished research career that would span decades and contribute fundamentally to our understanding of cardiovascular disease. She conducted post-doctoral research at the Rockefeller Institute (now Rockefeller University), where she worked alongside Dr. A.E. Mirsky studying the composition of cell nuclei and the role of proteins in cellular function. This work contributed to understanding how genes control cell behavior, research that was groundbreaking in the era before DNA's structure was fully understood.
In the 1950s, Dr. Daly joined the research faculty at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she shifted her focus to a question of enormous public health importance: what causes heart attacks? At the time, heart disease was killing hundreds of thousands of Americans annually, but the biochemical mechanisms underlying heart attacks and strokes were poorly understood.
Dr. Daly's research focused on cholesterol and its relationship to cardiovascular health. She investigated how cholesterol accumulates in arteries, leading to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which causes heart attacks and strokes. Her work helped establish that high cholesterol levels in the blood contribute to arterial blockages, and that dietary factors significantly influence cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease risk.
This research was pioneering—it helped lay the foundation for modern understanding of heart disease prevention. Today, doctors routinely measure patients' cholesterol levels, recommend dietary changes to reduce cholesterol, and prescribe medications to control cholesterol when necessary. Millions of people have avoided heart attacks and strokes thanks to interventions based on the kind of research that Dr. Daly helped establish.
Dr. Daly also studied hypertension (high blood pressure) and its relationship to heart disease, investigating how blood pressure affects arterial walls and contributes to cardiovascular damage. Her work on the relationship between smoking, hypertension, cholesterol, and heart disease helped identify the major risk factors that doctors now consider when assessing cardiovascular health.
Her research extended to examining how diet affects the circulatory system, studying the biochemical effects of different foods on cholesterol levels and arterial health. This work contributed to dietary guidelines that emphasize reducing saturated fats and cholesterol to prevent heart disease—recommendations that have become standard medical advice.
In 1960, Dr. Daly joined the faculty at Einstein College of Medicine (now Albert Einstein College of Medicine) in New York, where she taught biochemistry and continued her cardiovascular research. She remained at Einstein for nearly three decades, becoming a beloved teacher and mentor while maintaining an active research program.
Throughout her career, Dr. Daly was deeply committed to increasing diversity in science. Having experienced firsthand the barriers that racism and sexism created for aspiring scientists, she worked to ensure that future generations would have better opportunities. She mentored countless students, particularly women and minorities, encouraging them to pursue scientific careers and providing the support necessary to succeed.
After retiring in 1986, Dr. Daly established a scholarship fund at Queens College to support minority students studying chemistry and physics—a fitting tribute to her own educational journey and her father's unrealized scientific dreams. The Marie M. Daly Scholarship continues to support students pursuing careers in science, perpetuating her legacy of opening doors for underrepresented groups.
Dr. Daly's commitment to mentorship and diversity was recognized through various awards and honors. While she never sought publicity or fame, her contributions to science and to promoting diversity in STEM fields were acknowledged by scientific organizations and educational institutions. Her life demonstrated that excellence in science could come from anyone, regardless of race or gender, and that diverse perspectives strengthen scientific research.
Marie Maynard Daly passed away on October 28, 2003, at age 82, leaving a legacy that extends far beyond her scientific publications. As the first African American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry, she broke a barrier that had stood since the founding of American higher education, proving that Black women could achieve at the highest levels of scientific research despite systemic discrimination.
Her research on cholesterol, hypertension, and heart disease contributed to medical knowledge that has saved millions of lives. The understanding of how diet, cholesterol, and blood pressure affect cardiovascular health—knowledge that Dr. Daly helped establish—forms the basis for prevention strategies that have dramatically reduced heart disease mortality in recent decades.
Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Daly demonstrated that scientific excellence and commitment to social justice could coexist. She excelled in her research while simultaneously working to open doors for others, mentoring students, advocating for diversity, and ensuring that her success created pathways for future generations. Her scholarship fund continues supporting minority students decades after her retirement, perpetuating her vision of a more inclusive scientific community.
Dr. Daly's research on cholesterol and heart disease saved millions of lives and opened doors for generations of minority scientists.
Marie Maynard Daly's legacy encompasses both her scientific contributions and her role as a barrier-breaker who opened doors for future generations. As the first African American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry, she achieved what many thought impossible, demonstrating that excellence in science has no racial or gender boundaries.
Her research on cholesterol and heart disease contributed fundamentally to medical knowledge that has saved millions of lives. The understanding that high cholesterol levels contribute to arterial blockages, that diet significantly affects cardiovascular health, and that managing cholesterol can prevent heart attacks—this knowledge, which Dr. Daly helped establish, forms the basis for prevention strategies that have dramatically reduced heart disease mortality.
Today, doctors routinely measure cholesterol levels, recommend dietary changes, and prescribe statins to manage cholesterol. Public health campaigns encourage people to reduce saturated fat intake, exercise regularly, and control blood pressure. These interventions, rooted in the kind of research Dr. Daly pioneered, have prevented countless heart attacks and strokes, extending and improving millions of lives.
Beyond her research, Dr. Daly's commitment to mentorship and diversity created ripples that continue expanding. The students she mentored went on to their own scientific careers, and some now mentor the next generation. Her scholarship fund continues supporting minority students pursuing chemistry and physics at Queens College, perpetuating her vision of a more inclusive scientific community.
Dr. Daly's achievement in 1947 came at a time when segregation was legal, when most universities excluded Black students, and when even integrated institutions made the environment hostile for students of color. That she succeeded in earning a PhD from Columbia University and went on to a distinguished research career demonstrates extraordinary resilience, brilliance, and determination. Her success challenged racist and sexist assumptions about who could excel in science.
Her story reminds us of the countless talented individuals whose potential was wasted because systemic barriers prevented them from pursuing education and careers in science. It also demonstrates what becomes possible when barriers are lowered—Dr. Daly's contributions to heart disease research might never have occurred if she had been denied educational opportunities. Society benefits when talent is recognized and nurtured regardless of race or gender.
Discover the fascinating journey of this groundbreaking invention - from initial ideation and brainstorming, through prototyping and manufacturing challenges, to its distribution and early days in the market. Learn about the world-changing impact it has had on society.
Our comprehensive invention page covers: