Issue of
January 14, 1998

Three Stanford chemists ranked among top 75 by chemistry magazine

Chemistry Professor Carl Djerassi, the late William S. Johnson and Henry Taube made the list of the "Top 75 Distinguished Contributors to the Chemical Enterprise" during the last 75 years, announced the Jan. 12 issue of the chemistry trade magazine Chemical and Engineering News. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the magazine, which is published by the American Chemical Society, asked its readers to nominate up to 20 individuals, living or dead, for the honor. The readers nominated 1,200 individuals and the 75 with the most nominations were selected. According to the magazine, "The list is a 'Who's Who' of outstanding researchers, people who helped transform the nature of the chemical industry, and influential teachers."

Djerassi is known for his pioneering synthesis of medicinal compounds, including oral contraceptives, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory agents. Johnson's major contributions were the development of new and more efficient ways to synthesize complex molecules, including corticoid steroids. Nobel laureate Taube worked out the details of an important class of chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons and include the important processes of rusting and oxidation. His research has had a major impact on the field of biology as well as chemistry. SR