Ruth Ella Moore
Encyclopedia
Ruth Ella Moore was an American scientist who worked in the field of bacteriology
. The main focus of her research was on blood grouping and enterobacteriaceae
. She has the distinction of being the first African American woman to receive a doctorate degree in bacteriology.
She studied at the Ohio State University
where she received a Bachelor of Science (1926), a Master of Arts (1927) and a Ph.D. in Bacteriology in 1933.
During graduate school she supported herself by teaching English and hygiene at Tennessee State College (now Tennessee State University
) in Nashville
. For her thesis she worked on the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis
which causes most cases of tuberculosis
.
Dr. Moore worked from 1940 at the Howard University
Medical College first as assistant professor and later as associate professor until she retired 1973. She headed from 1947 to 1958 the Department of Bacteriology being the first woman to chair a department at the college.
Bacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
. The main focus of her research was on blood grouping and enterobacteriaceae
Enterobacteriaceae
The Enterobacteriaceae is a large family of bacteria that includes many of the more familiar pathogens, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Yersinia pestis, Klebsiella and Shigella. This family is the only representative in the order Enterobacteriales of the class Gammaproteobacteria in the...
. She has the distinction of being the first African American woman to receive a doctorate degree in bacteriology.
She studied at the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
where she received a Bachelor of Science (1926), a Master of Arts (1927) and a Ph.D. in Bacteriology in 1933.
During graduate school she supported herself by teaching English and hygiene at Tennessee State College (now Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
) in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. For her thesis she worked on the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogenic bacterial species in the genus Mycobacterium and the causative agent of most cases of tuberculosis . First discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, M...
which causes most cases of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Dr. Moore worked from 1940 at the Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
Medical College first as assistant professor and later as associate professor until she retired 1973. She headed from 1947 to 1958 the Department of Bacteriology being the first woman to chair a department at the college.