Paul d. boyer

The war project at Stanford was essentially completed, and I accepted an offer of an Assistant Professorship at the University of Minnesota, which had a good biochemistry department.

It wasn't until late high school and early college that I gained enough size and skill to make me welcome on intramural basketball teams.

The experience reminds me of a favorite saying: Most of the yield from research efforts comes from the coal that is mined while looking for diamonds.

This led to the discovery that long chain fatty acids would remarkably stabilize serum albumin to heat denaturation, and would even reverse the denaturation by heat or concentrated urea solutions.

The Brigham Young University (BYU) campus was just a few blocks from my home and tuition was minimal.

In marked contrast to the University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry was hardly visible at Stanford in 1945, consisting of only two professors in the chemistry department.

Concentrated serum albumin fractionated from blood plasma was effective in battlefield treatment of shock.

I participated on debating teams and in student government, and served as senior class president.

The geographical isolation and lack of television made world happenings and problems seem remote.

If our society continues to support basic research on how living organisms function, it is likely that my great grandchildren will be spared the agony of losing family members to most types of cancer.