Ernest Volwiler begins this interview by briefly discussing his early years in Ohio, leading to college study at Miami University, where he first became interested in chemistry. He remembers the influence of faculty there and his wish to undertake graduate studies at the University of Illinois. He recounts the circumstances of his decision to proceed to the Ph.D. program after completion of his Master's degree. Research work with Roger Adams and the summer organic chemicals production enterprise helped to introduce Volwiler to drug synthesis. His long career with Abbott Laboratories started in organic synthesis, including some plant production responsibilities. Volwiler recalls Dr. Abbott as well as some of his fellow workers in the laboratories in the 1920s and 1930s. World War II saw the production of penicillin and company expansion. Volwiler was a member of the pharmaceutics investigating team sent to Germany immediately after the end of the war and he describes his experiences there. Post-war advancement led Volwiler to the presidency of Abbott Laboratories, and he discusses how he trimmed the production line and initiated development into new areas. His ACS activities culminated in his election as Society President in 1950. Volwiler ends his interview with Bohning by reflecting on the nature of the modern pharmaceutical industry.
Reilly Township Public School, Butler County, Ohio
1910 - 1911
Teacher
Miami University
1913 - 1914
Teaching Assistant, Chemistry Department
University of Illinois
1914 - 1917
Teaching Assistant, Chemistry
University of Illinois
1915 - 1915
Chemist, Organic Chemical Manufacture (summer)
University of Illinois
1916 - 1917
Chemist-in-Charge, Organic Chemical Manufacture (summer)
University of Illinois
1917 - 1918
Fellow in Chemistry
Abbott Laboratories
1918 - 1920
Research Chemist
Abbott Laboratories
1920 - 1930
Chief Chemist
Abbott Laboratories
1930 - 1933
Director of Research
Abbott Laboratories
1933 - 1946
Vice President, Research and Development
Abbott Laboratories
1946 - 1950
Executive Vice President
Abbott Laboratories
1950 - 1958
President and General Manager
Abbott Laboratories
1951 - 1961
President, Abbott Laboratories Fund
Abbott Laboratories
1958 - 1958
Chairman of the Board
Abbott Laboratories
1958 - 1961
President, The Abbott Foundation
Abbott Laboratories
1958 - 1961
Chairman of the Board, Abbott Laboratories International Co.
Abbott Laboratories
1958 - 1961
Chairman of the Board, Abbott Laboratories Universal, Ltd.
Abbott Laboratories
1961
Consultant (retired)
Title and Description Page
Childhood and Early Schooling 1
Growing up in Hamilton, Ohio. One-room schoolhouse and a small high school.
College Studies 3
Courses and Faculty of Miami University. Laboratory studies and summer employment. Graduate study at the University of Illinois, research with Derick and Adams. The summer organic chemicals manufacturing program and introduction to drug synthesis.
Early Career with Abbott Laboratories 12
Synthetic organic chemistry; plant production. Anesthetics. Recruitment of chemists for Abbott Laboratories. Colleagues and outside collaborators. Pharmacological testing. Drug synthesis, organization of research work, publications and patents.
World War II Activities 23
Penicillin production. Development of antibiotics and the production of sulfa drugs. Company expansion. Fact-finding mission to Germany.
Post-war Career 27
Growth of the pharmaceutical industry. ACS activities and Presidency of the Society. Trimming production line at Abbott as company president, development of new areas. Company acquisition in pharmaceutical industry, target strategies in research and development.
Notes 33
Index 34
James J. Bohning
James J. Bohning is professor emeritus of chemistry at Wilkes University, where he was a faculty member from 1959 to 1990. He served there as chemistry department chair from 1970 to 1986 and environmental science department chair from 1987 to 1990. Bohning was chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1986; he received the division’s Outstanding Paper Award in 1989 and has presented more than forty papers at national meetings of the society. Bohning was on the advisory committee of the society’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program from its inception in 1992 through 2001 and is currently a consultant to the committee. He developed the oral history program of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and he was the foundation’s director of oral history from 1990 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Bohning was a science writer for the News Service group of the American Chemical Society. He is currently a visiting research scientist and CESAR Fellow at Lehigh University. In May 2005, he received the Joseph Priestley Service Award from the Susquehanna Valley Section of the American Chemical Society.