REFLECTIONS ON THE EARLY DAYS OF RISE:
A Personal Statement by a Former Chemistry Department Chair
A Tribute to Dr. George deStevens on the
10th anniversary of his death and the 25th Anniversary of the founding of RISE
by
James M. Miller, Fall 2005
Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, Drew University
Without the leadership of Dr. George deStevens, RISE, the Charles A. Dana
Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti, would not have developed as fast or progressed
as far as it did. These reflections are presented to honor his memory and record some of
his accomplishments at Drew. It has been said that Dr. deStevens put Drew on the map,
scientifically. In part, this paper is intended to provide some evidence to substantiate that
claim.
George had risen to Executive Vice-President and Director of Research at CIBAGEIGY after a brilliant research career which included the discovery of two important
diuretics, hydrochlorothiazide and cyclopenthiazide. He was also an avid golfer, as was
Dr. Paul Hardin, who was the President of Drew University in the mid-1970’s. One of
the topics they discussed while golfing was the possibility of a collaborative research
symposium which would be held on the Drew campus with the support of CIBA-GEIGY.
Thus was born the Frontiers in Biomedical Research Symposium which began in 1977
and continued for 27 years, even after CIBA-GEIGY became Novartis. As a part of the
Symposium, the CIBA-GEIGY Drew Award in Biomedical Research was established to
honor two up-and-coming scientists working at the frontiers of biomedical research.
Usually we chose one PhD and one MD, in order to get two perspectives on the research
topic. We were careful to choose topics and awardees based solely on their merit and not
because of any commercial advantage for CIBA-GEIGY. To serve as the moderator of
the afternoon symposium, we chose an established researcher, sometimes a Nobel Prize
winner, who also made a major address. In later years, the format changed slightly and
three scientists were chosen and given awards.
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Under George’s leadership and skill, we planned well in advance so that we could
present the most prestigious, young, biomedical researchers who were also excellent
speakers. I have fond memories of our luncheon meetings in the CIBA-GEIGY dining
room presided over by George and attended by two of his group leaders (Dr. Rosina
Dixon and Dr. Neville Ford) along with the department chairs of biology and chemistry
from Drew (Dr. James Nagle and myself). It was an opportunity for those of us at Drew
to get to know George, which later turned out to be a very beneficial relationship.
The Symposium program was set up as follows. To insure a successful
symposium, the three speakers arrived in Madison a day early and met with the
committee the night before the symposium to go over the program and acquaint the
speakers with our objectives, making sure that they would include material relevant to
undergraduates as well as advanced material for the established scientists and medical
doctors in the audience. In the morning of the day-long meeting, the three scientists
visited a science class and met informally with Drew faculty and students, discussing
their personal histories and the routes that led them to careers in science. Then they held
an informal technical discussion with CIBA-GEIGY and Drew scientists. The afternoon
was used for their formal presentations.
Thus, over the years, we brought to the Drew campus 81 of the world’s most
prominent biomedical researchers; most of them were members of the National Academy
of Science and 27 were, or became, Nobel Prize winners. The symposia were very
successful, and the presentations were so impressive that we wanted to publish them, but
that was possible only in 19821. This joint program between CIBA and Drew began
before George joined Drew, and became the first of many programs he later designed.
When George began to think about retirement, he also shared his thoughts with
Paul Hardin, indicating that he would like to join the Drew community so he could
remain active in chemistry. He suggested that he be given the title of Research Professor,
and proposed to carry out research with students and teach an upper-level course in
medicinal chemistry. His plans amounted to a full-time position, not the work load that
one would expect for a retiree, and we were delighted.
What George did not know was that we were in the process of planning a formal
program which would invite industrial scientists to join Drew upon their retirement.
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Beginning in 1976, with a modest starter grant of $15,000 from the Camille and Henry
Dreyfus Foundation, we sought to find a retired chemist who would be interested in
relocating to Drew to serve as a mentor to chemistry undergraduates in our relatively new
Hall of Sciences. From the candidates who applied, we selected Dr. William Moran who
had just retired from CIBA as the Director of Chemical Manufacturing. We carved out
an office/lab from our space on the second floor of the Science Building, and set up Bill
as our first Adjunct Research Professor in 1976, making him, in effect, our first RISE
Fellow, although the program had not yet been named RISE.
I remember being called to Paul’s office where, together with the Vice-president
for Finance, Scott McDonald, he presented George’s proposal. Knowing George from
our Symposium planning, I was delighted, but also quite surprised that he would want to
come to Drew. His timing fit perfectly into our plans and the chemistry department was
more than happy to welcome him as our second industrial retiree. We had a successful
pilot program and the prospect of available space. He took up residence in 1979 and
began planning his research program, also seeking other activities he could initiate which
would be of benefit to Drew. As he had requested, the college faculty voted him full rites
and privileges as Research Professor, the first and to this day, still the only one in Drew’s
history.
George set up his research laboratory and recruited two students in his first year
(Kirk Baumeister and Mark Weiner). In the spring he taught his course, Drug
Pharmacology, for the first time with an enthusiastic group of students. This was a new
course that had to have approval by the college faculty and George offered it every spring
for many years. At the conclusion of the course in that first year, the class gave him a
standing ovation and presented him with a memento of the occasion, signed by all of
them: an uncommon practice at Drew or anywhere else, and a fitting tribute at the end of
his first year at Drew.
By the next fall, George had already lined up speakers for a new lecture series that
he dubbed the Research Scholar Lectures, to be composed of four visiting chemists per
year. Leading off in 1980 was Dr. Max Tishler, a good friend of his who had retired
from Merck and gone to Wesleyan University. George considered Max to be something
of a role model, and he was a perfect choice to lead off this new program. Arranging for
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these visiting lecturers each of whom spent a day at Drew interacting with students and
making a major address, took quite a bit of time, as well as additional funding. George
took care of both, including the solicitation of funds from local pharmaceutical firms.
One of the highlights of each visit was lunch, which was held in the President’s
Dining Room with Paul Hardin, some faculty, and some students. It presented a chance
for us to get to know the visitor on a more personal level, and Dr. Hardin loved the
opportunity to discuss chemistry with these experts. Over the next 16 years, George
brought to campus 64 prominent chemists. The series was eventually dedicated to
Drew’s first chemistry professor, Louis Jordy, and became known as the Jordy Research
Scholar Lectures. They are still being held, but in a reduced format under the leadership
of Dr. Barbara Petrack, another RISE Fellow from CIBA-GEIGY, and a former colleague
of George’s.
George was also anxious to develop our vision for RISE, having a larger group of
retired industrial scientists mentoring Drew students and directing their individual
research projects. The major stumbling block was acquisition of additional space
necessary to accommodate more researchers. Fortunately, when the new Hall of Sciences
was built, the third floor was intentionally left empty and the space was undesignated, so
all we needed was enough funding to develop it. Since Drew was planning a major
capital campaign, our project was added. In the meantime, we had come up with the
name Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti, RISE, which seemed appropriate for a
program to be housed on the top floor of the science building.
An early brochure announcing our plans listed the cost at $400,000, but later, in
the fall of 1980, the trustees embraced a goal of $1.25 million. George was appointed the
first Director of RISE in September, 1980, and the formal announcement and fund raising
was initiated on April 13, 1981. A naming, challenge grant of $250,000 was made by the
Charles A. Dana Foundation in June, and the goal was completed about a year later, aided
by a capstone matching grant from the Pew Memorial Trust. George accompanied Paul
Hardin on many fund raising calls, often made to friends of George in the pharmaceutical
companies in the area. Paul later commented that this process was the easiest fund
raising he had ever encountered. The response of the local pharmaceutical and chemical
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companies in supporting RISE surely attests to the high esteem in which they held Dr.
deStevens.
Besides raising money, George was busy finding new Fellows for the Institute
and establishing a prestigious industrial advisory board. Included in the latter were Dr.
William O. Baker, the retired Chairman of the Board of Bell Telephone Laboratories,
who also took up part-time residence in RISE; Dr. Edward David Jr., the President of
Exxon Research & Engineering; and Dr. Antonie Knoppers, the retired President of
Merck & Co, and a Drew trustee.
Although our intent was to include representatives from all fields of science, it
was only natural that the first few scientists be chemists, since George was a chemist and
the program was begun by the department of chemistry. In 1983, Dr. Hershel Herzog, a
Schering Corporation retiree and Dr. Arnold Rosenthal, a Celanese Corporation retiree
both came to Drew, enlarging the RISE group to four. Others followed, including
biologists, and the official dedication of RISE was held on April 23, 1986. To provide
adequate facilities for biologists, a second fund drive was headed by George,
accompanied this time by the new president of Drew, Thomas H. Kean. An additional
$250,000 was raised, and the additional new facilities were dedicated on March 30, 1992;
the keynote speaker was Dr. Walter Eugene Massey, the Director of The National
Science Foundation. At that time, the list of RISE Fellows numbered eleven, with a
physicist and several biologists joining the original group of chemists to achieve the
diversity that was envisioned originally. In subsequent years, scientists have come and
gone and the group now includes a mathematician and a statistician.
George continued to publish his research and make unique contributions to the
literature of medicinal chemistry. In 1993, he described the RISE program in the Journal
of College Science Teaching2. But George was not content to carry out research and
publish papers. He started a new journal, Medicinal Research Reviews, and served as its
Editor from 1980 until his death. It is published by John Wiley & Sons, whose editors
wrote in tribute:3 “Dr. deStevens was able to solicit articles from leading medicinal
chemists where other journal editors had failed. He would tirelessly edit manuscripts to
ensure that they would be of interest to a broad audience. His dedication to Medicinal
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Research Reviews was so great that he continued to edit the journal during his illness and
then from his bed until the end.”
In this major effort, as in all of his projects, George was ably aided by his wife
Ruby, who served, in effect, as his executive secretary. In 1992, the Journal formally
recognized her contributions by naming her the Journal’s Editorial Assistant. After his
death, Ruby continued all of the editorial functions until 1999 when a new editor was
named and her work was formally acknowledged4.
Upon learning about a short course on medicinal chemistry taught in Great Britain,
a group of local pharmaceutical scientists decided to launch a similar course in New
Jersey, and since George was one of those involved, Drew was chosen as the location.
Thus, in 1987, he served as Co-Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Residential
School on Medicinal Chemistry. (The other Co-Chairman was Dr. William Houlihan,
from Sandoz who later joined Drew as a RISE Fellow). The short course was offered for
one week in June and enrolled 107 chemists. It was anticipated that there would be
insufficient demand for an annual course, which turned out not to true, and the course has
continued annually with enrollments rising to over 200 in some years. The faculty
numbers around 25, both industrial and academic, and the turnover in faculty has been
minimal. In 20 years, probably 3000 chemists have taken the basic course, and several
advanced courses have been added.
Over the years, George and his students kept busy synthesizing and evaluating
new chemicals as potential drug candidates. In his 15 years at Drew, he directed the
research of 24 chemistry majors, most of whom went on to advanced degrees and
successful careers. He was also always available to talk with any student who dropped
by his office. He helped the Institute make contacts and arrange field trips in addition to
all the other aforementioned tasks. Although he spent only 15 years with us, he
accomplished very much. He was a valued colleague whose friendship I treasured; it was
a pleasure to work with him.
During his years at Drew, Dr. deStevens’ achievements were recognized on
several occasions. He was selected as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, affording him
the opportunity to visit and lecture at several universities. He used those visits to tell
others about RISE. At commencement in 1988, I had the privilege of presenting him to
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President Hardin for the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa). In 1991
he was selected as the first recipient of the newly established E. B. Hershberg Award for
Important Discoveries in Medically Active Substances, established by the American
Chemical Society. In 1995 he was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame
for his discovery of hydrochlorothiazide. Largely as a result of his leadership, Drew was
one of 10 recipients of the Merck Innovation Award in Undergraduate Education in 1989.
A feature article in Chemical and Engineering News5 in 1993 highlighted the early
achievements of RISE under his direction.
Two years after his death in 1995, he was succeeded in the Directorship by Dr.
Sidney Udenfriend from Hoffmann-LaRoche. We proposed that the Directorship of
RISE should bear Dr. deStevens name as a permanent tribute. An endowment of over
$300,000 was raised with the help of corporate friends, including alumni and corporate
executives at Novartis and Schering-Plough. President Thomas Kean announced the
establishment of the George deStevens Directorship at the 22nd annual Novartis Drew
Frontiers in Biomedical Research Symposium on November 10, 1998. On that occasion,
Kean said “This afternoon’s program . . . was the first of many of George’s great ideas.
But they were more than ideas. They turned out to be great programs, and it was because
of the genius—yes, genius, a word I do not use unless I mean it—of George deStevens.”
Truly he was a genius, a valued colleague, and a cherished friend.
1. J. H. Growdon and P. Davies, Medicinal Research Reviews 1983, 3, 221-257.
2. G. deStevens, “Using Retired Industrial Scientists to Teach Undergraduate Research,”
J. College Sci. Teaching 1993, 22, 373-376.
3. Medicinal Research Reviews, 1996, 16, 2.
4. Medicinal Research Reviews, 1999, 19, 95.
5. D. Illman, Chem. Eng. News 1993, 71, [5], 35-36.
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ADDENDA*
1. Alumni Mentored by George deStevens
2. Chronological list of RISE Fellows and Directors, 1976-2008
* If not appended, copies can be requested from the Director of RISE
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Drew Alumni Mentored by George deStevens
1980
Kirk Baumeister
Mark Weiner
1986
Adrienne Richards (H)
1981
Barry Brevette
Jane Imming
Robert Petroski
1987
Mark Barbarisi
Christopher Gorman (H)
1982
Louis Lombardo
Linda Jo Reinhard (H)
Mary Rubacky
1989
Douglas D’Andrea (H)
Anthony Feltre (H)
Frank Rosen
Christine Tarby (H)
1983
Mordechai Berman
Jonathan Rose
1984
James Iannello
Frank Labbadia
Mary Ann Nicastro (H)
1991
Matthew Eager
1992
Shari Uldrich
1994
Michelle Stranz
1985
Sally Jo Placa (H)
H = Graduated With Honors in Chemistry
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CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF RISE FELLOWS
Name
1. William Moran
2. George deStevens
3. Hershel Herzog
4. Arnold Rosenthal
5. Myron Brin
6. William Brill
7. Norman Gaylord
8. Marvin Weinstein
9. Allen Laskin
10. Ashley Carter
11. William Campbell
12. Irving Tabachnick
13. William Houlihan
14. Larry Kelly
15. Sidney Udenfriend
16. Barbara Petrack
17. James McKenna
18. James Miller
19. Reginald Tang
20. Arnold Demain
21. Jon Kettenring
22. Kenneth Thomas
23. Vincent Gullo
Former Employer
CIBA-Geigy
CIBA-Geigy
Schering Corp.
Celanese Corp.
Hoffmann-LaRoche
Halcon Research
Gaylord Research Instit.
Schering-Plough
Exxon Res. & Eng.
AT&T, Bell Labs
Merck, Sharpe & Dohme
Schering-Plough
Sandoz, Inc.
Sandoz, Inc.
Roche Instit. Mol. Biol.
CIBA Pharmaceuticals
Bellcore
Drew University
Allied-Signal
MIT, Merck
Telcordia Tech.
Merck Research Labs
Schering-Plough/Cetek
Years in RISE
1976-1987
1979-1995
1983-1995
1983-1997
1986-1992
1986-1990
1987-1997
1988-2002
1989-present
1990-2008
1990-present
1991-1994
1992-2004
1994-2005
1997-1999
1996-present
1997-present
1997-present
1998-2000
2001-present
2004-present
2004-present
2007-present
DIRECTORS OF RISE
George deStevens, 1979-1995
Interim Co-Directors, 1995-1996: Ashley Carter and James Miller
Interim: Ashley Carter, 1996-1997
Sidney Udenfriend, 1997-1999
Ashley Carter, 1999-2008
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