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Interview no.: 0127
Date of interview: 17 January 1995
Location: American Cyanamid Company
No. of pages: 57
Interviewer:
James J. Bohning, Bernadette R. McNulty
Minutes:
Sponsor: Society of Chemical Industry
Access level: Free Access. Users may view, quote from, cite, or reproduce the oral history with the permission of CHF. Users citing interviews for purposes of publication are obliged under the terms of the CHF Oral History Program to notify CHF of publication and credit CHF using the following format: [Name of interviewee], interview by [name of interviewer] at [interview location], [interview date] (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History Transcript # [interview number]).
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The interview begins with Dr. Marinus Los' description of his family's origins in The Netherlands. When he was two years old, his family moved to England, where he received his early education during World War II. Encouraged by his older brother, Los studied chemistry at Edinburgh University, where he first became interested in biochemistry. He conducted his Ph.D. research on heterocyclic analogs of azulene under W. H. Stafford. Stafford encouraged Los to study at the National Research Council in Canada. There, he conducted research in the structural chemistry of alkaloids and plants under Leo E. Marion. In 1960, Los became a research chemist at Lederle Laboratories, now a division of the American Cyanamid Company. Under Milon E. Bullock, he conducted early research on insect control via an insect molting hormone discovered by Dr. Peter Karlson. Los also worked on a synthetic steroid project involving anabolic steroids and artificial insemination for cows. He briefly returned to Edinburgh University's Department of Pharmacology to organize a research program in prostaglandins. On returning to American Cyanamid, led at the time by George J. Sella, Jr., Los switched to research on herbicides. In his research on plant growth regulators (PGRs), Los's work on imidazolinones led to the herbicides Assert, Arsenal and Pursuit. This work won him the National Medal of Technology. Los ends the interview by discussing his later career as first Senior Group Leader and then Research Director, focusing on his approach to the encouragement of teamwork at American Cyanamid.
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| Title & Description |
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Page No. |
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Family Background and Early Education
Family origins in The Netherlands. Immigration to England. Early education during World War II. Influence of older brother. Introduction to science in high school. |
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1 |
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Undergraduate Education
Studies in chemistry at Edinburgh University. Burgeoning interest in biochemistry. Projected reunion of graduating class in honors chemistry. First paper with Gerald O. Aspinall on carbohydrate chemistry in plants. Influence of Edmond L. Hirst. |
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5 |
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Graduate Education
Focus on heterocyclic chemistry. Ph.D. work with W. H. Stafford on heterocyclic analogs of azulene. Research on hydrazine. Award from Industrial Research Institute. Importance of anomalies in research. |
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9 |
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National Research Council
Research in structural chemistry. Leadership of Leo E. Marion. Papers with Marion and O. E. Edwards on structures derived from alkaloids and plants. Research on the structure of hydroxylycoctonine. |
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12 |
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Early Career at Lederle Laboratories
Decision to pursue career in industrial science. Interactions with Milon W. Bullock. Early research on insect molting hormone. Development of synthetic anabolic steroids and artificial insemination of cows. Attitude towards publication at Lederle. |
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15 |
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Work on Prostaglandins at Edinburgh University
Move to Edinburgh University. Start of research program in prostaglandins. Reasons for return to industry. |
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20 |
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Herbicide Development at American Cyanamid
Research on plant growth regulators [PGRs] and phthalimides. Development of imidazolinones, leading to Avenge. Random screening approach for new herbicides. Discovery of cyclohexyl derivative of phthalimides, leading to Assert, Arsenal, and Pursuit. Joint project with Molecular Genetics. Organizational expansion. |
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22 |
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Later Career
Promotion to Senior Group Leader. Cyanamid's support of research and development. Influence of George J. Sella, Jr. Views on teamwork and managing creative people. Award of the National Medal of Technology. |
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38 |
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Notes
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48 |
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Index
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50 |
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| 1955 |
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B.Sc., Chemistry, Edinburgh University |
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| 1957 |
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Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Edinburgh University |
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| National Research Council of Canada |
| 1958-1960 |
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Research Fellow |
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| Edinburgh University |
| 1969-1970 |
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Senior Research Fellow, Department of Pharmacology |
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| American Cyanamid Company |
| 1960-1971 |
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Senior Research Chemist |
| 1971-1984 |
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Group Leader, Organic Synthesis |
| 1984-1986 |
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Senior Group Leader, Herbicide Discovery |
| 1986-1988 |
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Manager, Crop Protection Chemical Discovery |
| 1988-1992 |
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Associate Director, Crop Sciences |
| 1992-1996 |
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Research Director, Crop Sciences Discovery |
| 1996-Present |
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Retired |
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| 1954 |
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Boots Drummond Prize in Biochemistry, Edinburgh University
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| 1955 |
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Blandfield Prize in Chemistry, Edinburgh University
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| 1981 |
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Cyanamid Scientific Achievement Award, American Cyanamid Company
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| 1984 |
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Cyanamid President’s Award for Excellence in Agriculture, American Cyanamid Company
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| 1990 |
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Distinguished Inventor, Intellectual Property Owners, Inc.
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| 1991 |
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Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award, New Jersey Research & Development Council
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| 1993 |
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National Medal of Technology
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| 1994 |
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Achievement Award, Industrial Research Institute
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| 1994 |
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Perkin Medal, Society of Chemical Industry (American Section)
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| 1995 |
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Award for Creative Invention, American Chemical Society
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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.
Bernadette R. McNulty, former Oral History Project Manager for the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF), holds a B.A. in communications and social work and an M.A. and Ph.D. in communications. She held several teaching and research-related appointments, including positions at Muhlenberg and Rowan Colleges and Temple University, before joining CHF's Oral History Program in 1994.
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