The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa celebrated the legacy of renowned alumna Alice Augusta Ball at the annual recognition ceremony on February 26. This year’s event was especially meaningful, as her discovery dubbed the “Ball Method” treatment for Hansen’s disease has been designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Spearheaded by the UH Office of the President and the UH Mānoa Office of the Provost with support from various campus and community partners, the ceremony invited the campus community to the chaulmoogra tree on the ma uka side of Bachman Hall, where a plaque honors Ball’s legacy.
The event began with an oli led by the Hawaiʻi Papa o ke Ao Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Advancement Office and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience’s Native Hawaiian Place of Learning Coordinator.
Emcee LaJoya Shelly, a lecturer in ethnic studies and educational administration, led the event. UH President Wendy Hensel was among several distinguished speakers who commemorated Ball.
“She’s a true role model for all of us,” said Hensel, “Every year is exciting because she’s such an incredible trailblazer, and to be able to recognize her repeatedly for those contributions is always really special.”
Hensel also read Gov. Josh Green’s official proclamation declaring February 28, 2026, as Alice Augusta Ball Day.
Long-awaited official recognition
Katrina-Ann Kapā Oliveira, Interim Vice Provost for Student Success, presented the National Historic Chemical Landmark Designation on behalf of ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez.
“This landmark dedication reflects ACS‘s commitment to honoring chemists like Ball whose discoveries have improved countless lives,” read Oliveira. “The National Historic Chemical Landmarks program preserves and promotes these histories so that present and future generations can understand the transformative power of chemistry.”
In 2024, the American Chemical Society approved the nomination—submitted by David Lassner, UH president emeritus, and Paul Wermager, retired department head of science and technology at Hamilton Library—to award the National Historic Chemical Landmark designation to Ball for her technique of isolating ethyl esterification from the fatty acids of chaulmoogra oil so it could be effectively administered to Hansen’s disease patients by injection.
- Related UH News story: Sculpture honors pioneering scientist Alice Ball
This isolation technique, later called the “Ball Method,” was the first successful treatment for Hansen’s disease that was used on thousands of patients around the world until the introduction of sulfone drugs in the mid-1940s.
The Ball Method was used to treat patients in Kalaupapa, permitting them to return to their families after being banished to isolation facilities on the remote Molokaʻi peninsula. This treatment was the difference between a life of discomfort and isolation, and a life of fulfillment and connection with family and community.
Inspiring future generations of scientists
Ball was the first woman and first African-American to graduate from the College of Hawaiʻi—now known as the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa—with a master’s degree in chemistry. Ball had also become the first African American female chemistry instructor and department head.
“What inspires me really, especially during Black History Month, is her being a black woman in STEM,” said Raven Kelley, the student speaker for the Black Student Association, “When we look at U.S. history, women in STEM, in general, rarely ever get the recognition that they truly deserve.”
Ball died on December 31, 1916, at the age of 24, before publishing her groundbreaking work. More than a century later, the university remains committed to honoring her legacy.
“As a black woman in STEM myself, it gives me a sense of pride and honor to see her truly recognized for her work,” said Kelley.
Other program speakers included Phillip Williams, interim dean and professor of chemistry at the UH Mānoa College of Natural Sciences; Diana Felton, chief of the Communicable Disease and Public Health Nursing Division at the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health; and DeGray Vanderbilt of Ka ʻOhana O Kalaupapa.
The ceremony was followed by the annual Alice Augusta Ball Remembrance Walk, led by Sister Circle at Mānoa and Native Hawaiian Student Services, which included a trip to Hamilton Library to see the life-sized bronze bust of Alice Ball. The walk ended at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services for a screening of The Ball Method film.
—by Josslyn Rose
