Elmer Imes was born in 1883 and became the second person of African-American descent to receive a PhD in physics.
In 1920, he married Harlem Renaissance novelist (and fellow Afro-Viking) Nella Larsen.
Imes found it difficult to find a university teaching position and became a physics consultant and researcher working for several different companies between 1920 and 1930.
His work resulted in four patents for instruments which were used for measuring magnetic and electric properties.
In 1930, he became chair of the Fisk physics department. In 1933, his marriage to Larsen ended in divorce.
He died in 1941.
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Mixed Experience History Month is the annual blog post series created by writer Heidi Durrow celebrating the history of the Mixed experience. Established in 2007, Mixed Experience History Month is an effort to highlight the long history of folks involved in the Mixed experience. Please look for more profiles of people, places and events of the Mixed experience every weekday of May at Lightskinned-ed Girl, the blog! Thanks for reading. And check out some of the previous year's profiles: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
