Roger Arliner Young
1889 to November 9, 1964
Scientist of Zoology, Biology, and Marine Biology
THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO RECEIVE A DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ZOOLOGY,
Ph.D from University of Pennsylvania in 1940
Education: Howard University,
University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Roger Arliner YOUNG WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO RECEIVE A DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ZOOLOGY, Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania in 1940. Although she was successful at both research and teaching, the burdens of both areas increased for Young in the 1930’s. Under the effort of a heavy teaching load and few financial resources, she began to flounder in her career. Dr. Young lost her teaching position at Howard University in 1935 but rallied, publishing four papers between 1935-1938 and completed her doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania in 1940, under the direction of L.V. Heilbrunn. From 1940 to 1947, Dr. Young taught at the North Carolina College for Negroes and at Shaw University, North Carolina. During the 1950s, she taught at several Black colleges in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Unfortunately, the efforts of continuing personal and professional difficulties built during the 1960’s. Roger Arliner Young was recognized in a 2005 Congressional Resolution along with four other African American women “who have broken through many barriers to achieve greatness in science.A group of environmental and conservation groups established the Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Marine Conservation Diversity Fellowship in Young’s honor, to support young African Americans who want to become involved in marine environmental conservation work