{"id":192717,"date":"2024-03-06T10:00:59","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T20:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=192717"},"modified":"2026-08-10T14:01:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T00:01:42","slug":"retired-librarian-uplifts-alice-balls-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/03\/06\/retired-librarian-uplifts-alice-balls-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Retired librarian uplifts Alice Ball\u2019s legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Retired UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa librarian Paul Wermager shares a memory of Ball at the February 28 campus celebration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the trailblazers at the University of Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> at M\u0101noa whose story is celebrated is Alice Augusta Ball<\/a>. She was the first woman at UH<\/abbr> to earn a master\u2019s degree in chemistry and the school\u2019s first African American female chemistry instructor. Her groundbreaking contribution to the world led to becoming the most effective treatment for Hansen\u2019s disease (leprosy) in the first half of the 20th century. Many of the details about Ball\u2019s story came through research from a former UH<\/abbr> librarian.<\/p>\n

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Alice Ball<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paul Wermager, former head of the science and technology department at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa’s Hamilton Library<\/a>, has dedicated 25 years to researching, sharing and soon publishing a comprehensive biography of Ball.<\/p>\n

Retired in 2010, Wermager was a former ICU<\/abbr> nurse and pharmacist, and served at UH<\/abbr> for 20 years. His fascination for books led him to apply for a librarian faculty position.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked finding answers to new things, and with a science background, I thought it was a good fit,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce I started researching Alice, I couldn\u2019t stop. She was a remarkable woman who overcame many challenges in her life.\u201d<\/p>\n

[The scholarship] is my way to thank Alice for being the wonderful human being that she was.
\n\u2014Paul Wermager<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Paying it forward<\/h2>\n

In 2017, he established the Alice Augusta Ball Endowed Scholarship<\/a>, aiming to support underrepresented minority students at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa aspiring to enter the science field, mirroring Ball’s journey to use their unique talents to improve society and our world.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on Ball\u2019s life, he shared:<\/p>\n

\"Paul
Paul Wermager with scholarship recipient Destiny Apilado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cDuring her first year in Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> attending graduate school, Alice lived at the new YWCA<\/abbr> and found out from other women living there who came from the outer islands were really in a bad way with their grammar and were threatened to be fired from their work. To address this, she initiated popular English composition classes on Monday nights in fall 1914 and again in spring 1915. Ball\u2019s altruism likely stemmed from her own experiences of receiving support during asthma attacks, instilling in her a desire to assist others in need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wermager added, \u201cBecause my family was poor, I had to work evenings when I attended high school and college. Many people were very kind and helped me finish college. I think if Alice had lived, she would probably have helped others. [The scholarship] is my way to thank Alice for being the wonderful human being that she was.\u201d<\/p>\n

On February 28, \u201cAlice Augusta Ball Day,\u201d Wermager joined others in the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa community to commemorate Ball at the Chaulmoogra tree near Bachman Hall where a dedication plaque is placed in her honor. Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke presented a proclamation signed by Gov. Josh Green that reaffirmed Alice Augusta Ball Day in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be a wonderful thing to have a celebration each year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of the details about Alice Ball\u2019s story came through research from former UH<\/abbr> librarian Paul Wermager.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[251,598,1466,158,572,9],"class_list":["post-192717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-chemistry","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-publication","tag-scholarship","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t