contemporary hiftory
LEONARD editedFINE by: Columbia University New York, NY 10027
ERICS . PROSKAUER
Perspectives from Research on Vitamins and Hormones Karl F o l k e r s Institute for Biomedical Research The University of Texas a t Austin, Austin, TX 78712
Introduction T h e invitation b y Derek Davenport t o present a Perspectives Lecture was accepted with apprehension. T o reminisce about m y professional career in combination with significant perspectives t h a t will h e important a n d of interest t o an audience is a difficult assignment. I would like m y presentation to h e fascinating, h u t I can only tell t h e way i t was i n t h e past, a n d t h e wav i t is now. a n d hone for t h e best. Joseph iagowski a n d I discussed several times t h e format of aperspective Lecture, and we agreed t h a t amodicum of t h e
p a s t a n d a good measure of t h e present a n d t h e future could h e t h e best context.
Reminiscence Since reminiscing is desired, I shall oblige, h u t I regard reminiscence as acknowledgments of those who influenced m y career t o decrees of extraordinaw i m ~ o r t a n c e T . h e number of individuak whom I would like m&on is large, so I have selected a few who influenced m y career s o markedly.
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Edltor'r Note As contributions to an occasional series of papers' dealing with Contemporary History, the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATIONis pleased to publish two papers by Karl Folkers. His life-long practice of organic chemistry has produced a remarkably rich professional career, a glimpse of which was personally offered to friends and colleagues in the form of a DIVCHED Perspectives lecture at the Spring 1982 ACS meeting in Las Vegas. "Perspectives from Research on Vitamins and Hormones" suggests Karl Folkers' interests in chemistry and medicine, and although he describes himself as a biomedical scientist, you will likely recognize the organic chemist, not too well hidden in the wings. That he plans tolive therest of his life in a future of his continuing creation is very much in evidence in his second paper, a review and status report of work in . oroeress to Cancer Chemotheraov". .. on "A New Biochemical Annroach .. . . I t is our collective hone that such Persnectives papers and sutus repons on resr;mhersand their ac.tiutie3 might work rhrir way into undwgraduatcand graduate instruction thnrugh the pngex 01 'I'HiS.lC>t'l
