An African American Pioneer: Charles W. Pierce, B.S.ChE, 1901.

The article features African American chemical engineer Charles W. Pierce. He was the first chemical engineering graduate of the Armour Institute of Technology and the first African American chemical engineer in the U.S. His career upon graduation from the Illinois Institute of Technology is traced. Events that were occurring in the U.S. that may have shaped his career around the turn of the 20th century are discussed. INSET: SETTING THE STAGE FOR A NEW PROFESSION.