Alma Levant Hayden

Alma Levant Hayden was a famous chemist. She was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and attended South Carolina State College and Howard University. Hayden worked for the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, then as a chemist for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She was instrumental in proving that the drug Krebiozen was being incorrectly marketed as a cure for cancer.

Early Life and Education

The scientist was born Alma Levant on March 27, 1927, in Greenville, South Carolina. After graduating high school, Hayden attended South Carolina State College. Though she initially planned on becoming a nurse, Hayden found that she enjoyed her chemistry classes. She decided to pursue chemistry as a career and enrolled in Howard University to further her studies. Hayden went on to graduate from Howard with a master's degree in chemistry.

Career

Hayden began her career by securing a position with the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases. However, several years later, she moved to a job with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At the time, the FDA was particularly reluctant to hire African Americans. Though the administration's official policies stated that they supported hiring Black people, FDA scientists were sometimes required to testify in court. The administration worried that Black scientists might turn a racist jury against an otherwise winnable case. For this reason, Hayden was one of the first Black scientists to ever work at the FDA.

In the 1950s and 1960s, a new drug called Krebiozen was being pushed as a miracle cure for cancer. Andrew Ivy, the vice president of the University of Illinois, reported that the drug had resulted in a reduction in cancer symptoms in 20 out of 22 patients. However, despite media claims, no controlled medical studies had been conducted on the drug. Additionally, both Ivy and the treatment's owners were extremely reluctant to provide samples for analysis.

After pressure from the FDA, Ivy provided two small samples for the organization to study. At the time, Hayden worked with the Spectrophotometric Unit, which made her responsible for analyzing the new substance. She removed a tiny amount of Krebiozen from the sample, then mixed it with a potassium bromide solution. Hayden then used an infrared spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition of the drug.

The results of Hayden's test were clear: Krebiozen was composed of creatine. Creatine is an amino acid commonly found in meat and sometimes used as a dietary supplement. Hayden conclusively showed that Krebiozen was not a cure for cancer, and the drug was quickly banned.

Personal Life

Hayden was married to chemist Alonzo R. Hayden. The pair had two children, Michael and Andrea. Hayden passed away from cancer in 1967. At the time of her death, she was 40 years old.