Celebrating our diversity. The education of some pioneering African American chemists in Ohio.

Thomas Nelson Baker Jr. may not be a household name, but he clearly represents the many African Americans that have achieved great success in higher education during a volatile racial period in our history (1). A native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Baker began his undergraduate studies at Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio) and earned his B.A. and M.A. in chemistry in 1929 and 1930, respectively. Baker completed his M.A. thesis entitled, “Some Esters of Anthranilic Acid” under the direction of his research advisor, Prof. Alfred P. Lothrop.