Dr. Ernest E. Just (1883-1941)
Born in Charleston, South Carolina.
Graduated from the Industrial School of the State College, Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New Hampshire
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa)
Doctor of Philosophy Degree, University of Chicago Awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, 1915

Dr. Ernest Everett Just was born on August 14, 1883 in Charleston, SC. His grandfather, Charles Just was a prominent and successful member of Charleston's free black community before the Civil War. His father, Charles Frazier Just, died of alcoholism when Just was four years old. His mother, Mary Matthews Just, went to work in the phosphate mines on James Island, also founding a town, "Maryville." At 16, Just received a teaching degree from South Carolina College and Mary Just sent him to Kimball Academy in Meriden, NH. The school burned down and his mother died while Just was away. After her funeral, he never returned to South Carolina again

Just first became enthralled with biology at Dartmouth University. In 1907, he graduated magna cum laude, winning virtually every prize there was to win, as well as honors in sociology, history, botany and zoology; he was the only black man in his graduating class of 287. When Just graduated from Dartmouth, he was immediately offered a job as an English teacher at Howard University. Two years later, he accepted an appointment as an instructor in biology, and eventually devoted all of his time to teaching biology. In 1912, he established and became the head of Howard's Department of Zoology. While at Howard, Just was approached by Edgar A. Love, Oscar J. Cooper, and Frank Coleman about starting a fraternity on Howard's campus. Fearful of the political threat a secret organization of young blacks might pose to Howard's white administration, the university's faculty and administration opposed the whole idea. Just worked at mediating the controversy. And on 15 December 1911, the Alpha chapter of Omega Psi Phi was organized at Howard University.

Because of the difficulty black scientist at that time had obtaining appointments, Just's first inquiries into the possibility of conducting basic research were not initially encouraged. Eventually Frank Lillie, Director of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Wood's Hole, MA, noticed his determination, brought him to the MBL to study and act as a lab assistant. Just became fascinated with problems of fertilization and development. In 1912, he published his first paper in the Biological Bulletin. In 1915, the NAACP awarded Just the first Springarn Medal. After many delays and obstacles, he obtained his PhD, in 1916, summa cum laude, from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Just died of pancreatic cancer in October of 1941, at the age of 53 leaving behind a wife, Ethel, and three children. He also left behind a world that would eventually recognize him as the most advanced zoologist of his time.