In Memoriam: Frederick Isadore Scott, 1927-2017

Frederick Scott, the first African American to be awarded an undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, died on July 15 at a hospital in Baltimore. He was 89 years old.

In 1945, Scott telephoned the admissions office and asked, “Do you let Negroes into your school.” The admissions official replied, “I don’t know, we haven’t had anyone apply.”

Scott applied and was admitted and enrolled. After serving in the Army, he returned to Johns Hopkins and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1950. After graduation, Scott worked as an engineer for RCA. He then had a 40-year career in scientific publishing.

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