Ruth Ella Moore conducted research to help eradicate tuberculosis.
The daughter of William and Margaret Moore received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science from Ohio State University (1926 and 1927 respectively). She later attended Ohio State University, where she received her Ph.D. in bacteriology (1933). On graduating, Ruth Ella Moore (1903–1994) officially became the first African-American woman to earn a graduate degree in microbiology.
For her dissertation, Moore’s research focused on the bacteriology of tuberculosis. At the time, TB was a monumental health concern in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death. While the cure for TB was still over a decade away, Moore’s work contributed to the eradication of the disease.