Hawaii Senate Bill SCR159

Hawaii 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/10/23
• Refer: 3/15/23

Caption

Urging The Board Of Regents Of The University Of Hawaii To Rename Dean Hall At The University Of Hawaii At Manoa To "alice Ball Hall".

Impact

If adopted, the renaming would serve to recognize Alice Ball's lasting influence in the field of medicine and help raise awareness of her achievements, which have often gone unacknowledged. The resolution recounts how Ball developed a highly effective injectable form of chaulmoogra oil, a treatment that revolutionized care for those afflicted with Hansen's disease, allowing them to be treated at home instead of being exiled to a hospital facility. Even though her career was tragically cut short at the age of twenty-four, her contributions remained critical in the treatment of the disease until the emergence of sulfonamide drugs in the 1940s.

Summary

SCR159 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution urging the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to rename Dean Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to 'Alice Ball Hall'. This initiative seeks to honor Alice Augusta Ball's significant contributions to medicine, particularly her groundbreaking treatment for Hansen's disease, which was considered incurable at her time. The resolution highlights Ball's role as a pioneering chemist who became the first woman and first African American to earn a master's degree from the University of Hawaii, as well as her position as the first female and African American chemistry instructor at the institution.

Contention

The resolution highlights a historical narrative of recognition, noting that Ball's contributions were overlooked for many years, with another chemist, Arthur L. Dean, failing to credit her work in subsequent publications. This omission is relevant to the bill as it emphasizes the importance of recognizing the contributions of minority figures in science and medicine. The renaming of Dean Hall is viewed as a vital step toward correcting historical injustices and ensuring that Ball's legacy is honored appropriately within the university, reflecting broader themes of representation and acknowledgment in academic history.