opy . ▁ ▁Professional ▁life ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁Im es ▁found ▁difficulty ▁in ▁se cur ing ▁employ ment ▁in ▁academ ia . ▁Not ▁many ▁black ▁colleg es ▁had ▁physics ▁programs ▁and ▁white ▁colleg es ▁did ▁not ▁h ire ▁him . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁physics ▁consult ant ▁and ▁research er ▁after ▁comple ting ▁his ▁doctor ate ; ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁physics ▁at ▁the ▁Federal ▁Engine ers ▁Development ▁Corporation ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁Bur rows ▁Mag net ic ▁Equ ip ment ▁Corporation ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁Im es ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁engineer ▁at ▁E . A . ▁Ever ett ▁Sign al ▁Supp lies . ▁During ▁the ▁de cade ▁that ▁Im es ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁scientific ▁and ▁materials ▁industry , ▁his ▁research ▁resulted ▁in ▁four ▁pat ents ▁for ▁instruments ▁that ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁meas uring ▁magnetic ▁and ▁electric ▁properties . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁Im es ▁returned ▁to ▁F isk ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁Chair ▁of ▁the ▁Physics ▁Department . ▁Im es ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁the ▁academic ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁physics ▁programs ▁at ▁F isk . ▁Many ▁of ▁his ▁students ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁obtain ▁doctor al ▁degrees ▁from ▁highly ▁ranked ▁schools ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan . ▁While ▁at ▁F isk , ▁Im es ▁developed ▁a ▁course ▁in ▁Cultural ▁Physics , ▁to ▁teach ▁students ▁about ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁science