Career Milestones
Breaking into industry (1936)
His success with physostigmine led directly to Julian landing the
position of director of research at Chicago's Glidden Company, a
stunning achievement given that most black chemists were all but
entirely blocked from industry during the 1930s. In his 17 years at
Glidden, Julian would obtain over 100 patents, thanks mostly to the
versatile soybean plant. Using this so-called "miracle bean," he
developed dozens of products, from water-based paints to paper
coating to protein-rich foods, soon generating millions in revenue
for the company.