Margaret E. M. Tolbert

Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert (born November 24, 1943) From 1996 to 2002 she served as director of the New Brunswick Laboratory, becoming the first African American and the first woman in charge of a Department of Energy lab.

Early life and education Margaret Ellen Mayo was born in Suffolk, Virginia, to Jessie Clifford "Clifton" and Martha Taylor Artis Mayo. Margaret and her five siblings were kept together in spite of financial difficulties. The city was strongly segregated, with different areas at the beach and different entrances and drinking fountains in stores and movie theaters. She graduated from East Suffolk High School in 1963 at the top of her class of 99 students, and was its valedictorian. At Tuskegee University, Margaret enrolled in chemistry with a minor in mathematics. She was then recruited to Brown University where she defended her thesis in 1973 and received her doctorate degree in biochemistry in 1974. She retired from the NSF in December 2011.

Honors Tolbert has received a number of awards and honors.