In 1961, Dr. Vandon E. White was selected as Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA. He immediately provided leadership in developing a nationally competitive Chemistry Department. He championed for external funding for research, faculty development and pre-college science institutes for students.
Committed to improving the pipeline of African Americans pursuing graduate studies in chemistry, he assisted more than 10 African American graduates to enroll in top PhD programs across the nation by 1965. By 1968, he hired a minimum of two PhD faculty members in each of the five major branches of Chemistry. Under Dr. White’s leadership, the Chemistry department consisted of the largest number of African American PhDs of any faculty in the nation. The Vandon E. White Award, was established to bestow a plaque and monetary gift to an outstanding Senior in the Southern University Chemistry Department.
Support Dr. White’s legacy and the recipients of the Vandon E. White Award by making your tribute gift below.
