The centre of his world was the south where he was born in slavery some 79 years ago and where he did his work as a creative scientist.

The secret of my success? It is simple. It is found in the Bible.

One reason I never patent my products is that if I did it would take so much time, I would get nothing else done. But mainly I don't want my discoveries to benefit specific favored persons.

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.

I went to the trash pile at Tuskegee Institute and started my laboratory with bottles, old fruit jars and any other thing I found I could use. ... [The early efforts were] worked out almost wholly on top of my flat topped writing desk and with teacups, glasses, bottles and reagents I made myself.

No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.

If you listen carefully enough to anything, it will talk to you.