awards
Carl Djerassi Receives Othmer Gold Medal
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tanford University professor Carl Djerassi received the Chemical Heritage Foundation's (CHF) Othmer Gold Medal during an award luncheon for about 250 admirers and former students at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City last month. Djerassi is well known for his work in the synthesis of steroid oral contraceptives and for the development of mass spectrometry techniques. A prolific author, he has written more than 1,200 articles in the areas of chemistry and natural products, applications of physical measurements, and computer techniques related to organic chemical problems. He also is a notablefictionwriter. Djerassi is the author of several novels, including "Menachem's Seed," as well as a play based on that novel, "An Immaculate Misconception." Along with Nobel Laureate and Cornell University professor Roald Hoffmann, Djerassi has written another play, "Oxygen," which is still undergoing revision. Djerassi also has written his memoirs and an autobiography, "Steroids Made It Possible." Calling himself "an intellectual polyg-
amist, not a dabbler," who "easily sees 30 to 40 plays a year," Djerassi dispensed with the usual medal winner's address and read passages from his novel "NO" and from "Oxygen," the latter with the aid of Hoffmann. The Othmer medal recognizes a "multifaceted" individual "who has made enduring contributions to our chemical and scientific heritage through exceptional activity in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, or philanthropy." The 24-karat gold medal commemorates chemical engineer Donald F. Othmer, who died in 1995 and was known for finding simple, practical solutions for complicated scientific problems. Othmer earned millions through his investments and endowed many charities and organizations, including CHF's Othmer Library and the American Chemical Society. Presenting the medal to Djerassi, CHF President Arnold Thackray commended the scientist for his excellence in three different areas: academic chemistry, the pharmaceutical industry, and literature. Each requires different skills and poses different challenges, "yet all are important to furthering the chemical enterprise and its heritage," Thackray said. Djerassi came to the U.S. after he fled Nazi-controlled At left, Djerassi (left) and Hoffmann at the Othmer Gold Medal luncheon. Below, Djerassi with ACS Board Chair Henry F. Whalen Jr. (left) and ACS Immediate Past President Ed Wasserman.
Austria in 1939, Thackray noted. In addition to his academic achievements, Djerassi led the research group at Mexico City-based Syntex Corp. in 1951 that designed and synthesized norethindrone, the active ingredient in the first birth control pill (C&EN, Oct. 25,1999, page 78). He was influential in establishing Zoecon Corp., a subsidiary of Novartis, which developed methods to control insect populations. He served as chief executive officer of Zoecon until 1983. Awards and honors received by Djerassi include the National Medal of Science in 1973, the American Section of the Society of Chemical Industry's Perkin Medal in 1975, the National Medal of Technology in 1991, and ACS's Priestley Medal in 1992. He has been awarded 17 honorary doctorates from universities and colleges and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Thackray pointed out that the medal celebrates "the richness and enduring strength of our chemical and wider scientific heritage." And the medal's award to Djerassi and previous recipients should inspire the chemical community to draw on that heritage and its achievements "as we embrace the challenges of tomorrow." Marc Reisch
Nominations Sought For Spencer Award The ACS Kansas City Section is soliciting nominations for the 46th Kenneth A. Spencer Award for Outstanding Achievement in Food & Agricultural Chemistry. The award is presented annually to encourage those engaged in research, education, and industry to continue the quest for excellence in their fields. The recipient of the award will be invited to address the section and will receive the award and an honorarium of $6,000. The deadline for submission of nominations is Sept. 1. For nomination forms and additional information, contact Dennis L. Whitney, Chair, Kenneth A. Spencer Award Committee, 12723 Richmond Ave., Grandview, MO 64030; e-mail: dlwhitney® worldnet.att.net. Information and nomination forms can also be obtained on the Web at http://chem-phys.cmsu.edu/ —kcacs.^ JUNE 5,2000 C&EN
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