03/24/2026
At 23, she created the first real cure for leprosy. At 24, she was dead. For 90 years, a white man took credit for her discovery. This is Alice Ball's story.
Alice Augusta Ball was born in 1892 in Seattle, Washington, into a family that believed in Black brilliance. Her grandfather was one of the first Black photographers in the U.S., and her father was a lawyer and newspaper editor. Alice was raised in an environment that valued education, and she inherited both determination and an extraordinary mind.
By high school, Alice had already developed a fascination with chemistry. She went on to earn two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington—one in pharmaceutical chemistry and another in pharmacy. She even published a research paper while still an undergraduate.
In 1914, at the age of 22, Alice moved to Honolulu to pursue her master's degree in chemistry at the University of Hawai'i. She became the first woman and first African American to earn a graduate degree from the university. At just 23, she also became the first woman to be offered a position as a chemistry professor there.
It was during her time at the University of Hawai'i that Alice began researching Hansen's disease (leprosy), which had devastated families across the Pacific for generations. The only treatment at the time was chaulmoogra oil, but it was painful to inject and not absorbed well by the body. Alice, known for her brilliant chemistry, was tasked with finding a better solution.
Alice developed a method to make chaulmoogra oil injectable and more effective. She isolated the ethyl esters of the oil’s fatty acids, turning it into a water-soluble form that could be absorbed by the body. This groundbreaking treatment, called the Ball Method, saved lives and gave hope to those suffering from the disease.
But tragically, Alice never saw the full impact of her discovery. In 1916, at just 24 years old, Alice died suddenly. The cause is uncertain, but some believe she may have inhaled toxic gases while working in the lab.
And then, her work was stolen. Dr. Arthur Dean, president of the University of Hawai'i, took over Alice’s research after her death, published her findings under his name, and called it the “Dean Method.” For 90 years, Alice Ball was erased from medical history, and the credit was given to a white man.
It wasn’t until 2000 that Alice's contributions were finally acknowledged. Researchers uncovered her original work, and the University of Hawai'i placed a plaque in her honor. Alice Ball’s method saved thousands of lives, and her legacy has been restored.
Her story is one of brilliance and injustice, of a young Black woman whose genius was stolen. But Alice Ball’s name is now rightfully attached to the method that saved lives—the Ball Method.