Biochemistry department celebrates 50 years of contributions from faculty

When Arthur Kornberg came to Stanford in 1959 as chair of the new Department of Biochemistry, he brought with him the researchers who became founding faculty and a conviction that biochemistry held the secrets to understanding disease. Later that year, he won the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Today, the School of Medicine is celebrating the 50th anniversary of this department, which blossomed into one of the nation's premier biochemistry departments, renowned for innovative features, Nobel laureates and research discoveries.

A weekend of events honoring the original founding faculty, who have stayed together as a cohesive unit for nearly 50 years, will be held Aug. 22-24. About 500 alumni and friends will attend a closed symposium with lectures, followed by a dinner and get-togethers at the homes of 22 faculty.

Five decades after the department's founding, the six original faculty members to be honored are still actively involved in the department, with the exception of Kornberg, MD, who died in October. They have trained generations of students and postdoctoral scholars who are leaders in biomedical research.

The group includes Nobel laureate Paul Berg, PhD; Robert Lehman, PhD, the William M. Hume Professor Emeritus; Dale Kaiser, PhD, the Jack, Lulu and Sam Willson Professor of Biochemistry, Emeritus; Buzz Baldwin, PhD, professor emeritus of biochemistry, and David Hogness, PhD, the Rudy J. and Daphne Donohue Munzer Professor in the School of Medicine, Emeritus.

'Being a founder of the biochemistry department has been one of the great experiences of my life,' said Berg, the Robert W. and Vivian K. Cahill Professor of Cancer Research Emeritus and winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 'Each of us came at a fairly young age, each one has been a leader in their field. Together we've prospered, developed close friendships through collaboration and pride in our work, and succeeded. This party's to celebrate the department's success.'