Word: waksman
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When Rutgers University needed to save some money during the war winter of 1941-42, a budget official had a bright idea: Why not fire Selman Waksman, an obscure Ukrainian-born microbiologist who was getting $4,620 a year for "playing around with microbes in the soil?" That sort of fun & games, the moneyman pointed out, had never really paid...
Fortunately for Rutgers - and for mankind - Dean William H. Martin of the College of Agriculture saved Dr. Waksman from the ax. Within two years Selman Waksman's "playing around with microbes" had paid off with one of the biggest jackpots that has ever gushed from a scientist's laboratory. Dr. Waksman (rhymes with boxman) had become the discoverer of streptomycin, which ranks next to penicillin among the antibiotics and is the first of these "wonder drugs" to show hopeful results in the treatment of tuberculosis...
...Selman A. Waksman, 60, discoverer of streptomycin and neomycin (TIME, April 4), has dreamed for years of better facilities for hunting new antibiotics and for teaching others to join in the search. Last week streptomycin and the generosity of Scientist Waksman brought the dream near reality. Rutgers University announced that Dr. Waksman had turned over his patent rights to the Rutgers Research and Endowment Foundation...
From payments already received Rutgers will build a $1,000,000 Institute of Microbiology (study of living organisms too small for the naked eye to see) on the campus at New Brunswick. Also on hand or in sight is $250,000 from the Waksman gift to be used for the institute's operating expenses. Dr. Waksman, on the Rutgers staff for more than 25 years, will be the institute's director...
Royalties last year were more than $700,000, but they were no temptation to Scientist Waksman to take to the easy life. His self-effacing explanation was that he was sure the "age of antibiotics" was only beginning, and he wanted to do what he could to speed its progress. The institute would, he hoped, become a "Mecca for microbiologists...