Tonight is the first night that “Forgotten Genius,â€? a documentary based on four years of research into the life and tributes of Percy L Julian, one of the great scientists of the 20th century and a trailblazer for black chemists, will air on PBS. Highlighting the importance of African-American figures often less discussed during Black History Month (and yes, every month should include the honoring and telling of Black History–yes, that’s right, the longer months too) the NYT’s did a spread on the making of the documentary. What struck me in reading this article was the profound importance of archival research and preserving history, which the producers talk about in creating this movie.

There was just one problem: no book about Percy Julian existed. When producers set out to make film biographies, they almost always piggyback on years of research that historians or biographers have already done. But no science historian had ever studied Julian’s career; no biographer had ever told his story. The literature on Julian consisted of a brief biographical memoir by a longtime friend, chemist Bernhard Witkop of the National Institutes of Health; a 1946 Reader’s Digest profile; a 1993 magazine article about the Postal Service’s decision to name a stamp in Julian’s honor, and scattered press clippings and Web sites of uncertain reliability…Before long, it dawned on us that we weren’t just producing a film. We were preserving the legacy of one of the most significant scientists in American history—capturing the memories of his closest associates while there was still time.

There’s much more to read on PBS’ website, including Julian’s personal story growing up during segregation and his drive, interviews with those who knew him well and a timeline of his achievements, including his work with steroids and alkaloids that brought about a host of affordable and effective treatments for diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and glaucoma.