Virgil Garnett Trice Jr. was one of few African-American chemical engineers during the 20th century in the United States. [1]
Education
editTrice was born on February 3, 1926 in Indianapolis.[1][2] Trice obtained three degrees within the discipline of engineering: Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology.[3][2]
Career
editSubsequent to his education, Trice enlisted into the navy, the highest rank he achieved being ensign.[1] Throughout his career, Virgil worked part time as an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Howard University.[3][1] For twenty-two years of his career, from 1949 to 1971, Trice worked at the Argonne National Laboratory as a chemical engineer.[3][2] Trice's contributions here earned him a profile on Ebony magazine.[1] Then, in 1971 Trice became a member of the Atomic Energy Commission.[3] His work consisted of transforming atomic matter into useful items for the medical and industrial field.[1] He also researched possible nuclear fuel reprocessing, while still considering the economical aspect of it.[1] After he finished at Argonne National Laboratory, Trice went on to be a nuclear waste management engineer, employed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission until it dissolved, and then for the Energy Research and Development Administration.[1][2] Finally, his last position was for the U.S. Department of Energy where he worked as a program manager and senior program analyst in radioactive waste management.[1][2]
Trice lived to be 71, dying on October 31, 1997 in Gaithersburg.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mahoney, Eleanor (2017-10-07). "Virgil Garnett Trice, Jr. (1926-1997) •". Black Past. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
- ^ a b c d e Sammons, Vivian O. (1990). Blacks in science and medicine. Internet Archive. New York : Hemisphere Pub. Corp. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-89116-665-8.
- ^ a b c d Black Contributors to Science and Energy Technology. Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs. 1979.