Forgotten Genius -
nova

NOVA presents the remarkable life story of Percy Julian -- not only one of the great African-American scientists of the 20th century, but an industrialist, self-made millionaire, humanitarian and civil rights pioneer. The grandson of Alabama slaves, Julian won worldwide acclaim for his research in chemistry and broke the color barrier in American science more than a decade before Jackie Robinson did so in baseball. He discovered a way to turn soybeans into synthetic steroids on an industrial scale, enabling drugs like cortisone to be widely available to millions. In a special two-hour presentation, NOVA traces the vivid and moving saga of Julian's dazzling scientific achievements and sometimes stormy personal life. His largely unknown story is brought to life with vivid period re-enactments based on newly accessible family archives and interviews with dozens of colleagues and relatives. Tony Award-winning actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson stars as Julian. Courtney B. Vance narrates.

Episode Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 3403

No future air times were found for this episode.

About Nova:

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines.

Along the way, NOVA programs demystify science and technology and highlight the people involved in scientific pursuits.

Watch Nova - Clips, Episodes & Previews

Forgotten Genius

Robotic Cars

Detecting Earthquakes

Change Blindness

Human Hibernation

Profile: Jason Leigh

Future Broadcast times for "Nova": (show all)

Sat, Nov 30	1:00 P.M.	Building Stuff: Change It! NH Explore (11.2)
Sun, Dec 1	3:06 A.M.	Building Stuff: Change It! NH Explore (11.2)
Sun, Dec 1	9:00 P.M.	Building Stuff: Change It! NH Explore (11.2)
Mon, Dec 2	3:00 A.M.	Building Stuff: Change It! NH Explore (11.2)
Tue, Dec 3	7:00 P.M.	The Planets: Jupiter NH World (11.3)
Wed, Dec 4	12:00 A.M.	The Planets: Jupiter NH World (11.3)
Wed, Dec 4	8:00 A.M.	The Planets: Jupiter NH World (11.3)
Wed, Dec 4	2:00 P.M.	The Planets: Jupiter NH World (11.3)
Wed, Dec 11	9:00 P.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NHPBS (11.1)
Thu, Dec 12	1:00 A.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NHPBS (11.1)
Fri, Dec 13	2:00 P.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NHPBS (11.1)
Sat, Dec 14	1:00 P.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NH Explore (11.2)
Sun, Dec 15	12:00 A.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NHPBS (11.1)
Sun, Dec 15	3:00 A.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NH Explore (11.2)
Sun, Dec 15	9:00 P.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NH Explore (11.2)
Mon, Dec 16	2:00 A.M.	Rebuilding Notre Dame NH Explore (11.2)