Sinah Estelle Kelley (April 23, 1916 – December 21, 1982) was an American chemist who worked on the mass production of penicillin.
[4] Kelley began her scientific studies at Radcliffe College, under organic chemistry professor Louis Fieser, and during summer internships at Harlem Hospital.
She stayed in Peoria, Illinois, after the war, with a team working on the mass production of penicillin for the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
[8] Though Kelley did not hold an advanced degree, she was listed an author on several scientific papers from this group, with titles such as "Production of Fumaric Acid by Rhizopus arrhizus" (1959)[9] and "Production of Itaconic Acid by Aspergillus terreus in 20-Liter Fermentors" (1952).
[5] While she lived in Peoria, Kelley was the only African-American member of the Mayor's Interracial Committee.