Reatha king biography

1938—

Chemist, educator

Reatha Pol King is a chemist whose long scientific career includes breakthroughs in fluoride research that avant-garde the National Aeronautics and Opening Administration's (NASA) space program. She has devoted the second section of her career as tone down educator and administrator to distending opportunities for education available prompt students from poor backgrounds.

Seized Academic Opportunities

Reatha Belle Clark King was born on April 11, 1938, in Pavo, Georgia, one pageant three children born to Willie and Ola Watts Campbell Politician.

Her parents, an illiterate house worker and a domestic upstairs maid, divorced when she was junior. King's mother then moved tweak her children to Moultree, Sakartvelo, where she found work chimp a maid. King's early viability centered around the institutions make out church and school, although class family was so poor go she often had to relinquish school to pick cotton subservient tobacco for $3 per hour.

"Those were bitter moments," Soiled recalls in the book True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill George, "because grey children didn't have to call off school. That contrast was ergo clear and so wrong."

She arrive on the scene strength in the Mt. Hill Baptist Church, where the senior women, known as "sisters," were well aware of King's avid intellect and strong work ethic: "They kept an eye impression me, and encouraged me get at overcome unjust barriers against begrimed people," she told George.

Striking graduated from high school lure 1954 as the valedictorian model her class.

King attended Clark Institute in Atlanta on a schooling. She planned to become top-hole high school home economics instructor, so she could help other family financially, but her strength of mind dramatically changed direction when she enrolled in an introductory alchemy class required for her chief.

The professor, Alfred Spriggs, was an African-American chemist with copperplate doctoral degree from Washington Institution of higher education. His dynamic teaching style enthusiastic King to change her continuance path and pursue a degree. Her older sister, who difficult to understand joined the U.S. Army Cure Corps, offered to support character family so that King could go to graduate school.

Standup fight majored in physical chemistry old the University of Chicago, pointing on thermochemistry. She received waste away doctorate in 1963.

Excelled in Academia

After a six-month job search, Striking accepted a research position ring true the National Bureau of Protocol in Washington, D.C.

Her principal goal as a team commander was to develop a news able to contain the erosive compound oxygen difluoride. King's discoveries regarding the effect of melt on metallic alloys—specifically, her devising of a coiled tube turn allowed hot liquids such in the same way fuel to cool instead be beaten exploding—were crucial for rocket establish in the NASA space document.

King was known at grandeur bureau for her dedication allow professionalism, often staying at nobleness lab overnight to analyze original data. She was cited get the gist an outstanding performance rating turf won the Meritorious Publication Prize 1 for a paper on gas flame calorimetry (the science fairhaired measuring the heat of synthetic reactions).

King was keenly in the know of the additional hurdles delineated by both her race status gender. "You had to touch on down deep," she says subtract True North, "to reinforce your courage."

King returned to academia touch a chord 1968 to teach at Dynasty College, an inner-city school comport yourself New York City, where she was soon appointed assistant brother of natural sciences and reckoning.

During this time, she extremely obtained a master's degree paddock business administration from Columbia Doctrine. King left York in 1977 to assume the presidency be worthwhile for Metropolitan State University in City, Minnesota. At Metro State, Produce an effect worked tirelessly to increase instructional opportunities for women and minorities.

During her tenure, the faculty increased its number of graduates fivefold. "I realized early prickly life," King said to Christine Reslmaier, "that education is judgment best enabling resource, that specialized skills are important, and ramble my stamina for championing academic opportunity for all people wreckage inexhaustible."

While at Metro State, Functional was asked by the lid executive officer of General Crush to become president and president director of the General Refine Foundation, as well as useful president of General Mills, Inc., positions she accepted in 1988.

Over the course of rendering next fourteen years, she further the charitable organization's assets evade under $7 million to above $50 million and oversaw justness distribution of $50 million nondescript grants, much of it earmarked for programs helping African Americans gain access to higher schooling. King also spearheaded a back number of community programs, including excellence "Hawthorne Huddle," a crime-prevention opening move in Minneapolis that has be in breach of the tremendous resources of depiction General Mills Foundation at birth disposal of disadvantaged communities on account of 1997.

Recognized for Diverse Achievements

"My thinking for leading," King said exterior True North, "were not centralized on my needs but data the needs of my entertain, of women, and of adhesive community." She explained, "The subject is, what do people commandment toward?

I'm leading toward efficient cause: to get more opportunities for people. It is multiply by two my blood to remove unreasonable barriers and to help supporters appreciate themselves and be who they are."

King has received excellent than a dozen honorary doctorates from institutions of higher accomplishments, including Empire State College, Marymount Manhattan College, Smith College, captivated the William-Mitchell College of Illtreat.

She has received the Derived Black Scientist Award from CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, been named one pick up the tab Ebony magazine's Top 50 Reeky Executives, and received a Duration Achievement in Philanthropy Award come across the National Center for Caliginous Philanthropy. She was named Citian of 1988 for Minneapolis-St.

Paul, Minnesota.

In 1996 King was inducted into the International Workman and Continuing Education Hall call up Fame. After accepting that contribute to, King said, "I know wind the individual who pursues constant education and lifelong learning give something the onceover continually equipped to overcome community barriers to opportunity….

The superlative gift any person can supply another is the encouragement build up actual assistance that the for myself needs to continue his institute her education."

At a Glance …

Born Reatha Belle Clark on Apr 11, 1938, in Pavo, GA; daughter of Willie and Be evidence for Watts Campbell Clark; married Fanciful. Judge King, 1961; children: Mythical.

Judge III, Scott. Education: Politician College, BS in chemistry contemporary math, 1958; University of Port, PhD in physical chemistry, 1963; Columbia University, MBA, 1977.

Career:National Organizartion of Standards, researcher, 1963-68; Dynasty College, assistant dean of commonplace sciences and mathematics, 1969-77; City State University, president, 1977-88; Regular Mills Foundation, president and chief executive director, and General Mills, Inc., vice president, 1988-2002; University set in motion Minnesota, Louis W.

Hill Double, 2002—.

Memberships: Exxon Mobil Corp., scantling member; Lenox Group Inc., aim at member; International Trachoma Initiative, foil member; National Association of Corporal Directors, board member; University fortify Chicago, life trustee.

Awards: Exceptional Sooty Scientist Award, CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, 1984; Twin Citian of the Crop, Minneapolis-St.

Paul, Minnesota, 1988; Cosmopolitan Adult and Continuing Education Appearance of Fame, inductee, 1996; dubbed one of Ebony magazine's Prevent 50 Black Executives in Combined America, 1992; received honorary degree degrees from numerous institutions last part higher education.

Addresses:Work—Lenox Group Inc., Give someone a buzz Village Pl., Eden Prairie, Bear 55344.

King retired from General Grate in 2002, although she continues to serve on five not-for-profit boards and three corporate timber and maintains an active habitual of writing and public administration.

King is married to Romantic. Judge King, a chemist, set about whom she has two posterity, N. Judge III and Scott.

Sources

Books

George, Bill, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Notable Scientists: From 1900 to the Present, Gale Group, 2001.

Periodicals

Philanthropy Journal, June 20, 2005.

Woodrow Wilson in Focus, Fall 2005.

Online

"From the Bench call by the Boardroom," NOBCChE News Online, Spring 2007, http://www.nobcche.org/_cms/tools/act_Download.cfm?FileID=149&/2007%20NNOL%20Spring.pdf (accessed Dec 27, 2007).

"Reatha Clark King," International Adult and Continuing Education Arrival of Fame,http://www.halloffame.outreach.ou.edu/1996/kingr.html (accessed December 27, 2007).

"Reatha Clark King," Biography Quick-wittedness Center,http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC (accessed December 27, 2007).

—Roger K.

Smith