Lewis Hastings Sarett

Lewis Hastings Sarett
Born December 22, 1917
Champaign, Illinois
Died November 29, 1999(1999-11-29) (aged 81)
Viola, Idaho
Occupation Organic chemist
Spouse(s) Mary Adams Barrie (m. March 1, 1944 - div.June 28, 1969)
Pamela Thorp
Children Mary Nicole and Katharine Wendy (1st wife)
Will H. and Renee M. (2nd wife)

Lewis Hastings Sarett (December 22, 1917 – November 29, 1999) was an American organic chemist. While serving as a research scientist at Merck & Co., Inc., synthesized cortisone.

Biography

He was born in Champaign, Illinois. His father was renowned poet and professor Lew Sarett[1], and he was also an uncle of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.[2] He lived in Laona, Wisconsin for a time and then attended high school in Highland Park, Illinois . He received a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University in 1939 (Phi Beta Kappa) and his doctorate from Princeton University.

He worked for Merck & Co. for 38 years retiring in 1982. He invented a Process of Treating Pregnene Compounds Cortisone, Patent Number 2,462,133.

Named after him is the Sarett Oxidation which is the oxidation of an alcohol to a ketone or an aldehyde using chromic oxide and pyridine. Primary alcohols will be oxidised to aldehydes and not carboxylic acids.

Honors and awards

References

  1. ↑ https://www.beloit.edu/archives/documents/archival_collections/alumni/lew_sarett
  2. ↑ http://www.miltrosenberg.com/show/donald-rumsfeld-on-rumsfelds-rules/
  3. ↑ "Chemical Pioneer Award". American Institute of Chemists. Retrieved 30 November 2015.


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