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Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just
This biography illuminates the racial attitudes of an elite group of American scientists and foundation officers. It is the story of a complex and unhappy man. It blends social, institutional, black, and political history with the history of science.
416 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 1983
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June 13, 2018
Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just by Kenneth R. Manning is an amazing biography of a Black man who lived in the U.S. 1883 until death from illness in 1941. I read this biography in the mid-1980s, when I was an assistant professor. The book came to my attention because it was discussed at a meeting of Ford Foundation post-doctoral fellows. A scientist talked about it and the book details how racism limited the life of this very talented biologist. There are many lessons for the sciences and how they operated to limit new ideas and approaches.
Reading the book as a sociologist, I picked up the details of his early life and struggles, as well as how Just was a racial pioneer in predominantly White institutions, including getting his bachelors at Dartmouth in 1907. Yet that degree could not get him across the color line, so he was limited to teaching in Black institutions. Just taught at Howard and worked very hard, but there was no support for him as a researcher. He did build a support network and did work at Woods Hole, but he continually faced people who saw him as limited because of his race. He was light in color and during most of his life, mulatto was still a census category. Yet, many scientists and foundation heads could not see him as talented, including many who worked closely with him. His life is much struggle to secure external support and time released from teaching. Including people who wrote about him to foundation with their own implicit biases, seeing Just as only a hard worker who should be pleased to embrace his role as a teacher.
Re-reading this book as I have retired, it is amazing. There as so much I missed because I was beginning my career, teaching as well as learning about grant writing, and negotiating with universities about indirect costs and release time. Reading this biography again, I have a strong appreciation for the tortured life that Just led. He was also caught in the early 20th century thinking about race. Just grew up in the South, where he had to learn to pay deference to White people. Most importantly he structured a life to limit interaction with White people and even though he worked side by side, Just maintained a distance from them.
Just makes many of the right moves, he marries and works to enhance the Medical School at Howard at a time when it was one of the only institutions training Black doctors. He suffered under poor administrators and even when he secured external funding, he still had to fight the school to get funds for his research. At Howard at that time there was not a genuine appreciation for developing the sciences, and given the way Just’s career was limited, it was more profitable for these men and a few women to train as doctors. Just did work to establish a Master’s degree in biology, but he knew the poor training people had before coming to Howard and the massive effort to teach them. He also had to fight for equipment. Just worked diligently to help his students, but they were all negotiating in a very racist environment.
What was clear to me at this second reading, and in line with many contemporary discussions, is the way that White scientists and funders accepted the color line and wanted Just to work within it. It was his job to uplift his race and they did not fully understand that task was impossible in his circumstances. It was also too much to ask, that he not develop his full talent. Only in the late 1930s, does his mentor understand they way that racism warped Just’s life. We are still coming to grips with the meaning of racism in limiting people’s live in many respects.
I think on my first reading, I was just overwhelmed by the science. On this reading, I could look for parallels in the social sciences, where new frameworks and perspectives were not appreciated. Members of new groups who came into the academy regained their status as marginal people. As a consequence, their thinking was not embraced and people suffered personally and professionals. Having faced my own battles, I can appreciate the few resources that Just struggled with. I came of age during a time when there was more open contestation of the traditions in the fields, but still faced paternalism and materialism and having my ideas dismissed because I was a Black woman. However, I had more success with external funding and worked at predominantly White institutions where there were clear guidelines about direct and indirect costs. Yet, I did see Dean who were barriers to Black people getting a decent deal. I also had colleagues, so I did not struggle alone. Yet, in this reading I could see the persistence of patterns of racism.
Just’s life changes when he goes to Europe, where there is also marine biology and meets people who are move willing to accept him. He also has affairs and later in life finds love that is very supportive of his science and insist that he fight for himself. He has to address the rage he is entitled to, given the years of mistreatment by not just White people, but Black college administrators who used him. He is also able to integrated his knowledge and write a very important book. I am glad that I read it again and it helps me thinking about the gatekeeping that persists in higher education. I can also see that while I have had many struggles that time was on my side. The racism is still part of the landscape, but it is not as severe as what academics faced in early in the last century.
Reading the book as a sociologist, I picked up the details of his early life and struggles, as well as how Just was a racial pioneer in predominantly White institutions, including getting his bachelors at Dartmouth in 1907. Yet that degree could not get him across the color line, so he was limited to teaching in Black institutions. Just taught at Howard and worked very hard, but there was no support for him as a researcher. He did build a support network and did work at Woods Hole, but he continually faced people who saw him as limited because of his race. He was light in color and during most of his life, mulatto was still a census category. Yet, many scientists and foundation heads could not see him as talented, including many who worked closely with him. His life is much struggle to secure external support and time released from teaching. Including people who wrote about him to foundation with their own implicit biases, seeing Just as only a hard worker who should be pleased to embrace his role as a teacher.
Re-reading this book as I have retired, it is amazing. There as so much I missed because I was beginning my career, teaching as well as learning about grant writing, and negotiating with universities about indirect costs and release time. Reading this biography again, I have a strong appreciation for the tortured life that Just led. He was also caught in the early 20th century thinking about race. Just grew up in the South, where he had to learn to pay deference to White people. Most importantly he structured a life to limit interaction with White people and even though he worked side by side, Just maintained a distance from them.
Just makes many of the right moves, he marries and works to enhance the Medical School at Howard at a time when it was one of the only institutions training Black doctors. He suffered under poor administrators and even when he secured external funding, he still had to fight the school to get funds for his research. At Howard at that time there was not a genuine appreciation for developing the sciences, and given the way Just’s career was limited, it was more profitable for these men and a few women to train as doctors. Just did work to establish a Master’s degree in biology, but he knew the poor training people had before coming to Howard and the massive effort to teach them. He also had to fight for equipment. Just worked diligently to help his students, but they were all negotiating in a very racist environment.
What was clear to me at this second reading, and in line with many contemporary discussions, is the way that White scientists and funders accepted the color line and wanted Just to work within it. It was his job to uplift his race and they did not fully understand that task was impossible in his circumstances. It was also too much to ask, that he not develop his full talent. Only in the late 1930s, does his mentor understand they way that racism warped Just’s life. We are still coming to grips with the meaning of racism in limiting people’s live in many respects.
I think on my first reading, I was just overwhelmed by the science. On this reading, I could look for parallels in the social sciences, where new frameworks and perspectives were not appreciated. Members of new groups who came into the academy regained their status as marginal people. As a consequence, their thinking was not embraced and people suffered personally and professionals. Having faced my own battles, I can appreciate the few resources that Just struggled with. I came of age during a time when there was more open contestation of the traditions in the fields, but still faced paternalism and materialism and having my ideas dismissed because I was a Black woman. However, I had more success with external funding and worked at predominantly White institutions where there were clear guidelines about direct and indirect costs. Yet, I did see Dean who were barriers to Black people getting a decent deal. I also had colleagues, so I did not struggle alone. Yet, in this reading I could see the persistence of patterns of racism.
Just’s life changes when he goes to Europe, where there is also marine biology and meets people who are move willing to accept him. He also has affairs and later in life finds love that is very supportive of his science and insist that he fight for himself. He has to address the rage he is entitled to, given the years of mistreatment by not just White people, but Black college administrators who used him. He is also able to integrated his knowledge and write a very important book. I am glad that I read it again and it helps me thinking about the gatekeeping that persists in higher education. I can also see that while I have had many struggles that time was on my side. The racism is still part of the landscape, but it is not as severe as what academics faced in early in the last century.
July 31, 2024
E. E. Just was an early 20th century biologist who did groundbreaking research in cytology, fertilization, and embryology. He became the leading expert in working with marine invertebrate eggs (including various polychaete worms and sea urchins) at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and various laboratories in Europe. His education had started out with a strong emphasis in classics and language; he wrote poetry throughout his life and learned French late in life, well enough to lecture in it.
Despite great accomplishments, his life had tragic elements; a main reason for constantly seeking research opportunities in Europe was escape from the racism plaguing American universities at the time. Most black men of his education at that time went into medicine, where at least they made better money; friends called him a "benighted idiot" for pursuing a career in which he faced both discrimination and low salary - though he provided a comfortable, middle-class life to his family throughout the Great Depression, of all things, not to mention all his trips to and from Europe (where he had more than one affair) - the man did well for himself, in his way. But Europe could ultimately not serve as his refuge - he was forced back to the US when the Germans conquered France in 1940.
Themes of loneliness run throughout. Manning writes of Just's experience of a sunset in Washington, D. C. (quotations being from Just's personal correspondence):
"There was a beautiful sunset, 'long bands or ribbons of soft fleecy clouds of pink that glowed with fire and then became like smoke and disappeared.' But Just stood there without much feeling, without really being touched by the beauty of the scene. He wondered why. Was it because he was tired, anxious? He did not think so. Sunsets in Naples, no more beautiful on the surface, had 'filled' him to 'bursting,' given him a sense of oneness with the world. The problem with Washington was the place itself, the people in particular. They were mechanical, lacking warmth, very much like 'the wax figures which display hats and necklaces' in the shops. Never would they have had an urge to stick their 'bare feet in sand on the sea shore'; never would they have thought of sex or love or the earth around them as anything but 'dirty.' Just wondered why they bothered to live at all. To him they were strangers, and he longed to get away from 'their world and their city.'" p. 273
Manning, the author, writers engagingly throughout this academically researched biography of this worthy scientist. He covers everything from letters his grandfather wrote to fight for his freedom, to report cards during his time at Dartmouth, to the politics of university life and his own personal intrigue, to yes, some overviews of his actual science.
Despite great accomplishments, his life had tragic elements; a main reason for constantly seeking research opportunities in Europe was escape from the racism plaguing American universities at the time. Most black men of his education at that time went into medicine, where at least they made better money; friends called him a "benighted idiot" for pursuing a career in which he faced both discrimination and low salary - though he provided a comfortable, middle-class life to his family throughout the Great Depression, of all things, not to mention all his trips to and from Europe (where he had more than one affair) - the man did well for himself, in his way. But Europe could ultimately not serve as his refuge - he was forced back to the US when the Germans conquered France in 1940.
Themes of loneliness run throughout. Manning writes of Just's experience of a sunset in Washington, D. C. (quotations being from Just's personal correspondence):
"There was a beautiful sunset, 'long bands or ribbons of soft fleecy clouds of pink that glowed with fire and then became like smoke and disappeared.' But Just stood there without much feeling, without really being touched by the beauty of the scene. He wondered why. Was it because he was tired, anxious? He did not think so. Sunsets in Naples, no more beautiful on the surface, had 'filled' him to 'bursting,' given him a sense of oneness with the world. The problem with Washington was the place itself, the people in particular. They were mechanical, lacking warmth, very much like 'the wax figures which display hats and necklaces' in the shops. Never would they have had an urge to stick their 'bare feet in sand on the sea shore'; never would they have thought of sex or love or the earth around them as anything but 'dirty.' Just wondered why they bothered to live at all. To him they were strangers, and he longed to get away from 'their world and their city.'" p. 273
Manning, the author, writers engagingly throughout this academically researched biography of this worthy scientist. He covers everything from letters his grandfather wrote to fight for his freedom, to report cards during his time at Dartmouth, to the politics of university life and his own personal intrigue, to yes, some overviews of his actual science.
June 2, 2022
Strongly agree with Stephen Jay Gould's blurb from his NYRB review on the back of this one: "Among the finest biographies I have ever read. Manning's book wins my highest praise...It is so well written and meticulously researched...it is a pleasure to read."
E.E. Just taught at Howard University, spent decades of his life researching embryogenesis, and wrote an astonishing number of papers as well as several books in spite of systematic oppression and embittered frenemies.
Manning's book has footnotes galore, a comprehensive bibliography, a list of publications by E.E. Just, and GLOSSARY OF MANUSCRIPT CITATIONS. This is truly the new bar for me when it comes to historical biographies now. To all the other bios in my GR: Get you a Glossary of Manuscript Citations or get the hell off my to-read list.
In all seriousness, Manning writes well of the scholarly intensity of Just, and does not shirk from the difficulties and frustrations Just experienced in a supposedly "objective" field of study. Just, The Scientist; Just, The Father; Just, The Man---they're all here.
My only qualms are with Manning's structure (concentrating on specific periods of time pertaining to either Just's studies or his life but not both until the last three or four chapters) and some dry prose pertaining to Just's early life--but who am I to judge? I still had a great time reading this book and you will, too.
E.E. Just taught at Howard University, spent decades of his life researching embryogenesis, and wrote an astonishing number of papers as well as several books in spite of systematic oppression and embittered frenemies.
Manning's book has footnotes galore, a comprehensive bibliography, a list of publications by E.E. Just, and GLOSSARY OF MANUSCRIPT CITATIONS. This is truly the new bar for me when it comes to historical biographies now. To all the other bios in my GR: Get you a Glossary of Manuscript Citations or get the hell off my to-read list.
In all seriousness, Manning writes well of the scholarly intensity of Just, and does not shirk from the difficulties and frustrations Just experienced in a supposedly "objective" field of study. Just, The Scientist; Just, The Father; Just, The Man---they're all here.
My only qualms are with Manning's structure (concentrating on specific periods of time pertaining to either Just's studies or his life but not both until the last three or four chapters) and some dry prose pertaining to Just's early life--but who am I to judge? I still had a great time reading this book and you will, too.
June 10, 2021
Incredible story of a brilliant black intellectual and the contributions he made through his research and dedication to marine biology and more. He was not deterred despite facing much of the same discrimination we face today. This bio can be challenging to read at times due to the scientific terminology which describes the details of research and findings of the fascinating work of Dr. Just. The small print also makes the reading a bit tedious at times (my eyes are not as sharp as they used to be). This is nonetheless a great account of the character and accomplishments of this brilliant black scientist!
July 28, 2023
Science is a human endeavor. The facts written in a biology textbook came from people who collaborated and worked together to answer questions about the nature of living organisms and what makes the living different from nonliving materials. The facts are the result of the human endeavor in science. Ernest Everett Just (1883-1941) was one of those extraordinary scientists whose discoveries are written into textbooks as facts without the human background being mentioned as part of the established body of factual knowledge. Dr. Just studied sea urchin egg cells, cytoplasm of cells, and fertilization. He coined the word "ectoplasm" to denote the part of the cell's cytoplasm near the cell's surface. The previously mentioned areas of study are just part of his contributions to science. Mr. Manning, the author of Black Apollo of Science, has written a detailed and comprehensive biography of Dr. Just. The biography was thorough in its research and includes the story of Just's life, the time in history during which Just lived, and the people involved in Just's career. Everything, both good and bad is included. It is no wonder that the book won a Pulitzer Prize. At the back of the book, there is a complete bibliography of Just's published works. The bibliography is followed by 53 pages of research citations and acknowledgements; an index is included. I purchased and read the paperback version and am disappointed in Oxford University Press. The print is way too small to be comfortably read; smaller than newsprint or the phone book, and the pull quotes are even smaller; the paper is low quality. Therefore, I recommend getting a version that can be read electronically, so that the type can be adjusted to a larger size. I recommend this book to students (and their teachers) who are seriously thinking about a career in science. They will certainly have something to think about, after they have read about Just's career and life. There are shorter and more easily read biographies about Just for younger or curious learners on the internet. Some Locations: [South Carolina: Charleston, James Island, Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College (now South Carolina State University) at Orangeburg; New Hampshire: Kimble Union Academy at Meriden, Dartmouth at Hanover; Chicago: University of Chicago; Washington D.C.: Howard University; Massachusetts: Woods Hole in Falmouth; Germany: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute in Berlin, Dahlem; Austria: Graz; Italy: Stazion Zoologica Anton Dohrn of Naples; Switzerland; France: The Station Biologique at Roscoff]
August 4, 2019
Very interesting and informative subject matter, but I didn't think it was particularly well organized or written. After many chapters with biological information about people who in the end refused to give him money for research, we are just going to gloss over his internment in a Nazi concentration camp in about 5 sentences? It was generally chronological, but had some weird jumps. For example, the section right at the end giving the personal history of his main biological mentor, who had been a main character for twenty years and the entire book.
Despite some difficulties with the organization and dry writing style, it was heartbreaking to read about how Just struggled to pursue his life passion of biological research in an era where there were simply no research jobs for black Americans. It was worthwhile to read a book about this subject matter, and I'm guessing this might be the only one, so I'm glad I read it.
Despite some difficulties with the organization and dry writing style, it was heartbreaking to read about how Just struggled to pursue his life passion of biological research in an era where there were simply no research jobs for black Americans. It was worthwhile to read a book about this subject matter, and I'm guessing this might be the only one, so I'm glad I read it.
May 30, 2025
Gould reviewing a different book in nyrb some years ago, (i was reading all gould's writings in nyrb recently), droppped a short bomb sentence, saying this was the best written book of a scientist's life, one that grew up on gullah geeche james island sc around 1890's https://gullahgeecheenation.com/2020/...
, graduated dartmouth, graduated chicago, researcher at woods hole for decades, teacher, leader, battler at howard for decades, hied-off to europe for what he thought was good...in 1939, to do science without bigotry :(
but he'd already experienced usa apartheid, so why the f not
a massive history of science color lines respect money power and a man, one of the best written
, graduated dartmouth, graduated chicago, researcher at woods hole for decades, teacher, leader, battler at howard for decades, hied-off to europe for what he thought was good...in 1939, to do science without bigotry :(
but he'd already experienced usa apartheid, so why the f not
a massive history of science color lines respect money power and a man, one of the best written
November 25, 2018
This biography of a black man who was born just a few years after Emancipation and who suffered through the indignities of Jim Crow to get his PhD and become a leading authority in marine biology was really fascinating. One criticism: I thought it was a shame that the author only devoted, literally, three sentences to Just being interned and then released by the Nazis when he was doing science in Europe - I would have liked more detail there. Overall, though, a worthwhile read — the things he accomplished despite the adversity are really inspiring.
November 28, 2020
Story of Perseverance
A bit of a slow read, the detailed scientific aspects of the book can lead to skipping a few paragraphs. But overall, the book was strong. The growth of EE Just throughout the book, really took you on an emotional journey. As you share in his triumphs and struggles, you will find yourself fighting for him as much as you are fighting with him. In the end you, like many of his "friends", realize that EE Just fought to rise above his circumstances his entire life.
A bit of a slow read, the detailed scientific aspects of the book can lead to skipping a few paragraphs. But overall, the book was strong. The growth of EE Just throughout the book, really took you on an emotional journey. As you share in his triumphs and struggles, you will find yourself fighting for him as much as you are fighting with him. In the end you, like many of his "friends", realize that EE Just fought to rise above his circumstances his entire life.
February 21, 2018
Necessary reading!
December 7, 2018
A very good biography of Dr. Ernest E. Just.
April 23, 2019
thicc read but loved it none the less, every black scientist should read this
April 29, 2022
This is a book worth reading, both as a psychological study of a brilliant man quashed by white supremacy, and as a history of biology in the early 20th century.
October 30, 2015
Thoroughly researched biography of one of the first successful black American scientist. Great mix of Just's science and life. Devastating to watch racial injustice make life hell for him but inspiring to read about his perseverance!
March 3, 2014
What fantastic read of a black man with a brilliant scientific mind. Sadly, he has become a footnote in scientific achievement.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews