Honorary Degree from Wilberforce University awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.
date: label: Date
content: 1941
name: label: Issued by
content: Wilberforce University, American, founded 1856
label: Received by
content: James A. Parsons Jr., American, 1900 - 1989
label: Signed by
content: Bishop D. Ormande Walker, British Virgin Islander, 1890 - 1955
label: Signed by
content: Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom, American, 1861 - 1959
label: Signed by
content: George Henry Valentine, American, 1902 - 1973
notes: label: Caption
content: James A. Parsons Jr. was a scientist, inventor, and university professor, whose research with rust resistant metals and iron alloys is credited with leading to the development of stainless steel. He developed Durimet 20, a corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy also known as Alloy 20, which is still widely used today in a diverse range of industries including petrochemical, textile, nuclear, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and chemical and food processing.
label: Caption
content: Born in 1900, Parsons grew up in Dayton, OH, where his father worked as a butler for Pierce Schenk, the founder of metal manufacturer Duriron Co. Schenk covered Parsons’ tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in exchange for Parsons’ work over summer breaks. Parsons graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1922 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and returned to working at Duriron Co., where he eventually established what was likely the first all-Black industrial research laboratory. Over the course of his career, Parsons received eight patents, won the Harmon Medal in 1928 for his scientific achievements, and had a distinguished teaching career at Tennessee Agriculture and Industrial State College (now Tennessee State University) and Ohio State University.
label: Description
content: An honorary doctorate degree from Wilberforce University awarded to James Albert Parsons on June 12, 1941. Printed in black ink on off-white paper, the certificate confers the "honorary degree of Doctor of Science". It has the seal of Wilberforce University printed in black in the front, lower left corner. It was signed at lower right by Wilberforce University’s President D. Ormande Walker, President of the Board of Trustees Reverdy C. Ransom, and Secretary of the Board of Trustees George H. Valentine. There is an inscription in pencil on the back of the diploma [1/2 BIK / 22507].
place: label: Place depicted
content: Wilberforce, Greene County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Education
label: Topic
content: Engineering
label: Topic
content: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
label: Topic
content: Science
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Awards, Medals, and Insignia
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Grant Shipp
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.246.2
objectType: label: Type
content: diplomas
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper on cardboard
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 8 1/2 × 10 1/4 in. (21.6 × 26 cm)