An Interview with Eugene Moss Jr

An Interview with Eugene Moss Jr.

By Jordan J. Lassiter

Born: August 1927 in East Orange, New

Jersey Was one of four children Served in WWII and Korean Conflict Son of immigrant parents True Blue and Crooked Island, Bahamas Father was a carpenter and fisherman. Moved to Opa Locka, Florida (Outside of

Miami) where his parents married

Interview with Eugene Moss Jr.

1935

Grandpa would go to Upsala College to

fly kites as a child Father would always have him doing

chores Bought 1929 Ford for 25 dollars Father tried really hard to keep kids out

of trouble especially during the summer

Childhood

Through grade school- Grandpa did not

experience much racism and excelled in his studies

However, when walking around his neighborhood his brother and he would choose the “right streets” to walk down, especially during Halloween

Continued…

Was classified as 1A During weekends in High School, he

worked at medical lab in Newark analyzing cultures in a Bacteriology lab.

Was sent to the medical corps in Texas and was the only black person that went to the medical tech training.

WWII ended and he was honorably discharged

Military Experience

With the GI Bill Grandpa perused a

degree at Lincoln University in 1947 Many of his classmates were from New

Jersey and were taught by mainly white professors

Joined Kappa Alpha Psi Father was very against education

College

College Photo

Received a letter stating that he needed to serve

another 10 months in the military Completed basic training again, and was very

nervous he would be sent to the battle front Stationed in Germany Encountered a new form of racism Joined military track team (traveled throughout

Europe) Worked in and out of hospitals Was the only black person to be doing this at the

time in the bacteriological phase. Given graduate credit.

THE KOREAN WAR (1950’s)

Painting From

Germany

High School jobs at both the bacteriology lab

and pharmacy Military experience In the military expanded him

Worked with diseases, bacteria and fungus with the diseases/ bacteria and fungus

Patients! Bacteriological phases in all kinds of projects.

CDC and Doctors. After Korean Conflict went to graduate school

Interest in Research

Schering-Plough researcher Schering-Plough manufactured several

pharmaceutical drugs best known for the allergy drug Claritin, and an anti-cholesterol drug called Vytorin among others

Working with one phase of a chemists work and expanded it to create a more in depth analysis

Was the only black researcher until the end of his career

International meetings

Career

COMPUTERS! “It is nice to see other black scientist,

and that they are in programs. I am very proud of what they are doing and the dignity they take in their work.”

How the field has changed?

Mom’s Wedding &

Present Day