As the month of February begins, it is time to celebrate Catholic Schools Week and Black History Month in the school Library. This week, our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students, learned from Mrs. Carpenter that you need not look far to celebrate, honor, and spotlight a modest, great African American. Who might this person be, you ask? His name – Dr. Harold Amos and, it is an honor to tell his story.
The second eldest of nine children, Harold Amos was born to Howard R. Amos Sr. (a US Postal Service Carrier) and Iola Johnson on September 7, 1918 in Pennsauken, New Jersey. He attended a segregated elementary school in Pennsauken and since there was no high school at the time in Pennsauken, Harold attended and graduated first in his class from Camden High School. He received an academic scholarship (which was difficult to obtain for African Americans at the time), to Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Harold graduated summa cum laude in 1941 with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. It was his love of books at an early age that inspired him to study science.
Harold served in the US Army Quartermaster Corps during World War II. After returning from serving his country, in 1946, Harold enrolled in the Biological Sciences program at Harvard University Medical School. His progress was swift, obtaining his M.A. in 1947 and his PhD. in 1952. This achievement made him the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from Harvard’s Division of Medical Sciences. After graduation, he received a Fulbright Fellowship to spend two years in France at the Pasteur Institute.
Harold began a lengthy teaching career in the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology (now known as Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) at Harvard in 1954. He started as a lecturer and reached full Professor by 1969. Harold was an admired teacher, researcher, and mentor for over forty years. He dedicated a considerable amount of his career supporting the advancement of historically underrepresented individuals and communities within the fields of medicine and science. He remained a conscientious mentor, providing substantial support to students and young professors and worked with several organizations dedicated to diversifying medical school faculties.
Some of the other accomplishments of Dr. Harold Amos include:
* Twice served as chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.
* He was the first African American to head a Medical School department at Harvard.
* Chaired the Division of Medical Sciences for two separate terms.
* Awarded the endowed position, the Maude and Lillian Presley of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.
* Recipient of the first $50,000 Dr. Charles Drew World Medical Prize from Howard University.
* Public Welfare Medal of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Amos died on February 26, 2003 in Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 84. He was an exceptional person who always remained humble and modest throughout his career and successfully brought diversity to medical school faculties.
Some information for this article was obtained through: Mahoney, E. (2017, December 17). Harold Amos (1918-2003). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/amos-harold-1918-2003