Merck funds professorship to honor alumnus Princeton NJ -- A new professorship in chemistry has been established by the Merck Company Foundation to honor Arthur Patchett '51, a research chemist and former vice president of medicinal chemistry at Merck. The Arthur Allan Patchett Professorship in Organic Chemistry will be created with a $3 million gift in recognition of Patchett's distinguished career at Merck, which spans more than four decades. A search will begin next summer for a leading scholar to fill the new chair. A chemistry major at Princeton, Patchett graduated Phi Beta Kappa and went on to receive his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University in 1955, working in the laboratories of Nobel Laureate R.B. Woodward. During his career, he conducted groundbreaking research that led to the development of several major cardiovascular drugs. Although Patchett retired last year, he continues to consult at Merck. "Art Patchett played an absolutely pivotal role in the invention of some of the most important and widely used families of drugs available today. We conservatively estimate that literally hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world are alive today directly as a result of the therapeutic agents that Art helped to pioneer," said Thomas Salzmann, senior vice president for basic research at Merck's research laboratories in Rahway, N.J. "We are delighted to establish this chair at Art's alma mater in recognition of a truly remarkable career in science." George McLendon, chair of Princeton's Department of Chemistry, noted that Patchett has been a remarkably devoted and inspired scientist. "We are delighted that Merck has chosen to recognize Dr. Patchett's accomplishments by strengthening the relationship between Princeton's chemistry department and Merck in this tangible way," he said.   top		May 21, 2001 Vol. 90, No. 28 previous   archives   next Contents New president • Professor named 19th president • Time is right for Tilghman • Reaction enthusiastic for new leader • Family comes first for new president • Shirley Tilghman bio Life sciences • Search is on for genomics institute head • Silver: Doubling not necessarily troubling • Landweber tracks changes in genetic code • Virus leaves trail in brain for researchers Students and alumni • Thesis sparks thriving teacher corps • Recent grad's first novel attracts attention • Student teaching builds bridges • New program preps local students for success Other news • Merck funds professorship to honor alumnus • Hair colors literary, artistic representations • Class size makes a difference People • Remaining discretionary funds to increase staff salaries • Doig announces retirement • Barron is new women's hoops coach • Spotlight • Briefs • Thirteen faculty members transfer to emeritus status Sections • By the numbers: Reunions • Nassau Notes • Calendar of events The Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year, except during University breaks and exam weeks, by the Office of Communications, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Permission is given to adapt, reprint or excerpt material from the Bulletin for use in other media. Deadline. In general, the copy deadline for each issue is the Friday 10 days in advance of the Monday cover date. The deadline for the Bulletin that covers June 4&endash;17 is Friday, May 25. A complete publication schedule is available at deadlines or by calling (609) 258-3601. Subscriptions. The Bulletin is distributed free to faculty, staff and students. Others may subscribe to the Bulletin for $24 for the academic year (half price for current Princeton parents and people over 65). Send a check to Office of Communications, Stanhope Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Editor: Ruth Stevens Calendar editor: Carolyn Geller Contributing writers: Jennifer Greenstein, Pam Hersh, Marilyn Marks, Steven Schultz, Regina Tan Photographer: Denise Applewhite Design: Mahlon Lovett, Laurel Masten Cantor Web edition: Mahlon Lovett