Black History

Pioneering Chemist Bettye Washington Greene Researched Latex Products and Uses for Dow

Bettye Washington Greene (1935–1995), who was believed to be the first African-American female chemist employed to work in a professional position at the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Mich.

Published

4 years ago

March 1, 2021

Kiki

Dr. Bettye Washington Greene

According to researchers, the first African American to earn a PhD in chemistry (1916) was Saint Elmo Brady. He studied at Fisk University and later at the University of Illinois. This qualified him for several positions, yet he faced a stark choice.

Brady described himself as a young man who had “all of the advantages of a great university, contact with great minds, and the use of all modern equipment. “Was I willing to forget these and go back to a school in the heart of Alabama where I wouldn’t even have a Bunsen burner?”

But that’s what he did: He chose to return to Alabama and teach at Tuskegee Institute.

Brady devoted a lot of his life to building educational opportunities for Black students. He developed the first graduate program for Blacks in chemistry as well as chemistry departments at several historically Black colleges and universities.

Among those benefitting from the path Brady blazed at Tuskegee was Bettye Washington Greene (1935–1995), who was believed to be the first African-American female chemist employed to work in a professional position at the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Mich.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Tuskegee (1955) and her PhD in physical chemistry from Wayne State University (1962).

She married veteran air force captain William Miller Greene the year she graduated from Tuskegee. The couple had three children. Her doctoral dissertation, “Determination of Particle Size Distributions in Emulsions by Light Scattering,” was published as a book 10 years later (1965).

The Fort Worth, Texas–born Greene (then Bettye Washington) joined Dow in 1965. She worked in the firm’s E.C. Britton Research Laboratory, specializing in latex products. She was the first Black employee hired in a professional capacity. Her research for the company was focused on colloidal chemistry, the chemistry of latex, including the interaction between latex and paper.

Greene served as a consultant on polymers issues in Dow’s Saran Research Laboratory. Members of the Styrene Butadiene Latex group often utilized her expertise and knowledge. In 1970, she was promoted to the position of senior research chemist, and then to senior research specialist in 1975.

During her tenure at Dow, Greene obtained several patents for various modifications of latex. Included were latex-based adhesive prepared by emulsion polymerization; composite sheet prepared with stable latexes containing phosphorus surface groups; stable latexes containing phosphorus surface groups; and novel adhesives in the form of composite latex polymer sheets with phosphorus surface groups.

Active in community service in Midland, Greene was a charter member of the Midland Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. a national public service group with a focus on working with African-American women. She was also elected to Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

Best remembered as a pioneering black woman scientist, Greene would spend her entire career as a research chemist with Dow. She retired from Dow in 1990.

Kiki

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

4 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Published

1 week ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Rhonda M. Smith.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners

Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”

That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.

That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.

The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.

These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.

I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.

About the Author

Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.

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IN MEMORIAM: Nate Holden, State Senator and Longtime Los Angeles Councilmember, Dies at 95

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.” Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Published

1 week ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Former Los Angeles Councilmember and California State Sen. Nate Holden. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a prominent figure in the city’s politics, passed away at the age of 95, his family confirmed on May 7.

Holden, who represented South Los Angeles for 16 years on the City Council and served one term in the California State Senate, was widely regarded as a forceful advocate for his community.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.”

Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Holden’s journey to political prominence began in the segregated South, where he was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1929. He often recalled the childhood moment when he first heard the governor of Georgia vowing to continue suppressing Black people.

“Doing the best you can for the people. Law and order. Make sure that people’s communities are safe. I did it all,” said Holden, reflecting on his legacy.

Holden is survived by his sons, including former California Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represented a district in Southern California that includes Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County and cities in San Bernardino County.