 |
Interview no.: 0017
Date of interview: 31 July 1985
Location: Stanford University
No. of pages: 64
Interviewer:
Jeffrey L. Sturchio, Arnold Thackray
Minutes: 240
Access level: Semi-restricted Access. Users may view the oral history with the permission of CHF. Permission of the interviewee is required to quote from, cite, or reproduce the oral history. Please contact CHF to request interviewee’s permission.
|
In this interview Carl Djerassi begins with his early years in Vienna and Bulgaria, including his schooling at the American College in Sofia. This is followed by his immigration to the United States, with special emphasis on his college experiences at Newark Junior College, Tarkio College, and Kenyon College. The central portion of the interview considers Djerassi as a student at the University of Wisconsin, followed by research work at Ciba, a faculty position at Wayne State University, and steroid research at Syntex in Mexico City. The interview continues with a move to Stanford University, and expands on Djerassi's dual positions in business and academe, concluding with personal views on writing scientific and non-scientific literature, interest in the arts, and a number of ways in which chemistry has changed during his career. For additional information on Carl Djerassi, please visit his website at www.djerassi.com.
|
| Title & Description |
|
Page No. |
|
|
|
Childhood and Early Education
Parents and family situation in Vienna and Sofia. Realgymnasium in Vienna. The move to Bulgaria. Secondary school at The American College in Sofia. Curriculum. Early interest in medicine. Growing up as an only child. Skiing accident. |
|
1 |
|
|
|
Immigration to the United States and Undergraduate Education
Arrival in New York. Enrollment at the Newark Junior College. Decision to become a chemist. Scholarship to Tarkio College. College activities and the church lecture circuit. Medical problems and rejection for military service. |
|
7 |
|
|
|
Ciba and Graduate Education at Wisconsin
Ciba Pharmaceutical Company. Synthesis of Pyrabenzamine.The antihistamine revolution. First graduate courses at New York University and Brooklyn Polytechnic. Decision to go to graduate school. Decision to study steroids with Wilds. Marriage. WARF fellowship to Wisconsin. Friendship with Gilbert Stork. State of instrumentation in academic institutions. Estrogen synthesis. The dieneone-phenol rearrangement. Coining names for organic reactions. Reasons for not considering Harvard.Santonin. |
|
13 |
|
|
|
Ciba, Syntex, and Wayne State
Work at Ciba on medicinal compounds. Decision to return to academe. Offer of research position at Syntex in Mexico City. Steroid research. Professorship at Wayne State University. Knee fusion. Divorce and remarriage. |
|
23 |
|
|
|
Faculty Member at Stanford
Offer from University of Wisconsin. Move to Stanford University. Leave in Mexico. Reasons for leaving Mexico. Professional polygamy. Syntex-Stanford connections. Syva. Zoecon. Cetus. Teknowledge. |
|
28 |
|
|
|
Personal Comments and Philosophy
American organic chemistry. Changing status of natural product chemistry. Costs of mixing business and academe. Writing poetry and fiction. Chemistry and the arts. Changes in chemistry. Reasons for prolific scientific writing. Students and postdoctoral fellows. Children. Views on interaction between academe and industry. |
|
37 |
|
|
|
Notes
|
|
57 |
|
|
|
Index
|
|
59 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1942 |
|
A.B. summa cum laude, Chemistry, Kenyon College |
|
|
|
| 1945 |
|
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of Wisconsin |
|
|
|
| Ciba Pharmaceutical Company |
| 1942-1943 |
|
Junior Research Chemist |
| 1945-1949 |
|
Research Chemist |
|
|
|
| Wayne State University |
| 1952-1954 |
|
Associate Professor of Chemistry |
| 1954-1957 |
|
Professor of Chemistry |
|
|
|
| Syntex S.A. |
| 1949-1952 |
|
Associate Director of Chemical Research |
| 1957-1960 |
|
Vice President for Research |
|
|
|
| Stanford University |
| 1959-Present |
|
Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus |
|
|
|
| Syva Associates |
| 1966-1978 |
|
Chairman, Board of Governors |
|
|
|
| Zoecon Corporation |
| 1968-1988 |
|
Chairman of the Board |
| 1968-1983 |
|
Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
| Syntex Corporation |
| 1960-1972 |
|
Director |
| 1964-1969 |
|
Data Processing Applications Analyst, Center for Computer Sciences and Technology |
| 1969-1971 |
|
Consultant to Director, Center for Computer Sciences and Technology |
|
|
|
| Syntex Research |
| 1960-1964 |
|
Vice President for Research |
| 1964-1968 |
|
Executive Vice President |
| 1968-1972 |
|
President |
| 1971-1972 |
|
Science and Technology Fellow |
|
|
|
| Cetus Corporation |
| 1975-Present |
|
Director |
|
|
|
| Catalytica, Inc. |
| 1975-Present |
|
Director |
|
|
|
| Teknowledge, Inc. |
| 1975-Present |
|
Director |
|
|
|
| Djerassi Resident Artists Program |
| 1972-1975 |
|
Staff Assistant for Computer Usage Information, Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology |
| 1975-1978 |
|
Chief, Computer Information Section, Information Technology Division, Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology |
| 1978-1979 |
|
Manager, ADP Information Analysis, Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology |
| 1982-Present |
|
Founder |
|
|
|
| 1953 |
|
Honorary doctorate, National University of Mexico
|
|
|
|
| 1958 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Kenyon College
|
|
|
|
| 1958 |
|
Award in Pure Chemistry, American Chemical Society
|
|
|
|
| 1959 |
|
Leo Hendrik Baekeland Medal, American Chemical Society, North Jersey Section
|
|
|
|
| 1960 |
|
Fritzsche Award, American Chemical Society
|
|
|
|
| 1961 |
|
Member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences
|
|
|
|
| 1968 |
|
Honorary membership, American Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences
|
|
|
|
| 1969 |
|
Intra-Science Research Foundation Award
|
|
|
|
| 1969 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
|
|
|
|
| 1970 |
|
Freedom Foundation Patent Award, American Institute of Chemists
|
|
|
|
| 1972 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
|
|
|
|
| 1972 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Wayne State University
|
|
|
|
| 1973 |
|
Award for Creative Invention, American Chemical Society
|
|
|
|
| 1973 |
|
National Medal of Science
|
|
|
|
| 1973 |
|
Madison Marshall Award, American Chemical Society, Alabama Section
|
|
|
|
| 1973 |
|
Chemical Pioneer Award
|
|
|
|
| 1975 |
|
Perkin Medal, Society of Chemical Industry
|
|
|
|
| 1975 |
|
Chemistry Alumni Award for Scientific Achievement, City College of New York
|
|
|
|
| 1975 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Columbia University
|
|
|
|
| 1977 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Uppsala
|
|
|
|
| 1978 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Coe College
|
|
|
|
| 1978 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Geneva
|
|
|
|
| 1978 |
|
First recipient of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry
|
|
|
|
| 1978 |
|
National Inventors Hall of Fame, United States Patent Office
|
|
|
|
| 1982 |
|
Camille and Henry Dreyfus Distinguished Scholar, Duke University
|
|
|
|
| 1982 |
|
Gregory Pincus Memorial Lecture and Award, Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology
|
|
|
|
| 1982 |
|
Sixth Annual Exploratorium Award, The Exploratorium Museum
|
|
|
|
| 1983 |
|
Award in the Chemistry of Contemporary Technological Problems, American Chemical Society
|
|
|
|
| 1983 |
|
John and Samuel Bard Award in Medicine and Science
|
|
|
|
| 1985 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Ghent
|
|
|
|
| 1985 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Manitoba
|
|
|
|
| 1988 |
|
Roussel Prize (Paris)
|
|
|
|
| 1988 |
|
Discoverer's Award, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
|
|
|
|
| 1989 |
|
Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest
|
|
|
|
| 1990 |
|
First recipient of the Award for the Industrial Application of Science, U.S. National Academy of Sciences
|
|
|
|
| 1991 |
|
National Medal of Technology
|
|
|
|
| 1992 |
|
Priestley Medal, American Chemical Society
|
|
|
|
| 1992 |
|
Nevada Medal, U.S. National Academy of Sciences
|
|
|
|
| 1993 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Adelphi University
|
|
|
|
| 1994 |
|
Thomson Gold Medal, International Mass Spectrometry Society
|
|
|
|
| 1995 |
|
Prince Mahidol Award in Medicine (Thailand)
|
|
|
|
| 1995 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of South Carolina
|
|
|
|
| 1995 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Wisconsin
|
|
|
|
| 1995 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
|
|
|
|
| 1996 |
|
Sovereign Fund Award
|
|
|
|
| 1997 |
|
Willard Gibbs Medal, American Chemical Society, Chicago Section
|
|
|
|
| 1997 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Maryland-Baltimore County
|
|
|
|
| 1998 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
|
|
|
|
| 1998 |
|
William Proctor Prize for Scientific Achievement, Sigma Xi
|
|
|
|
| 1999 |
|
Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class
|
|
|
|
| 2000 |
|
Othmer Gold Medal, Chemical Heritage Foundation
|
|
|
|
| 2000 |
|
Honorary doctorate, University of Aberdeen
|
|
|
|
| 2001 |
|
Honorary doctorate, Polytechnic University (New York)
|
|
|
|
| 2001 |
|
Author's Prize, German Chemical Society
|
Jeffrey L. Sturchio is Executive Director, Public Affairs, Human Health Europe, Middle East & Africa, at Merck & Co., Inc., where he is responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of a range of policy and communications initiatives for the region. Before assuming his current position in 1995, he was Merck’s Director, Science & Technology Policy, in the Corporate Public Affairs Department from 1993 to 1994; and Associate Director, Information Resources & Publishing, from 1992 to 1993. After a sojourn on the senior staff of the AT&T Archives, Dr. Sturchio joined Merck & Co., Inc. as Corporate Archivist in June 1989. He received an A.B. in history from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in the history and sociology of science from the University of Pennsylvania. He was Associate Director of the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry from 1984 to 1988, and has held teaching appointments at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and the University of Pennsylvania as well as a fellowship at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Arnold Thackray is president of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He majored in the physical sciences before turning to the history of science, receiving a Ph.D. from Cambridge University in 1966. He has held appointments at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1983 he received the Dexter Award from the American Chemical Society for outstanding contributions to the history of chemistry. He served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania for more than a quarter of a century. There, he was the founding chairman of the Department of History and Sociology of Science, where he is the Joseph Priestley Professor Emeritus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|