William Howard Stein

@Harvard University, Family and Family ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ William Howard Stein was an American biochemist who was jointly awarded the ‘Nobel Prize in Chemistry’ in 1972 Cancer Celebrities American Columbia University Harvard University Scientists Biochemists William Howard Stein was an American biochemist who was jointly awarded the ‘Nobel Prize in Chemistry’ in 1972 with American biochemists Stanford Moore and Christian B. Anfinsen. The contributory research work for which he received the award was concerned with structure of ribonuclease (RNase) and also for comprehending association of the ribonuclease molecule’s chemical structure with that of its catalytic activity. He collaborated with Moore to develop new procedures of chromatography, a process of separating a mixture, for applying to analyse amino acids and small peptides procured through protein hydrolysis. The first automatic amino-acid analyzer, which hugely aided in the study of amino acid sequences of proteins, was developed by them. They also used the new tool to make the first analysis of the complete chemical structure of the pancreatic enzyme ribonuclease. Stein spent his entire professional career at Rockefeller serving as Professor of Biochemistry first at the ‘Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research’ and thereafter at the ‘Rockefeller University’. He also remained visiting professor of many universities including ‘Harvard University’ and ‘University of Chicago’. He received several awards along with fellow biochemist Stanford Moore including the American Chemical Society Award in Chromatography and Electrophoresis in 1964; the ‘Linderstrom-Lang Medal’ from the ‘Carlsberg Research Center’ in 1972; and the ‘Richards Medal’ of the ‘American Chemical Society’ in 1972.

Personal Details

Birthday: June 25, 1911 Died on: February 2, 1980 Nationality: American Famous: Columbia University, Harvard University, Scientists, Biochemists Spouses: Phoebe Hockstader Known as: William H. Stein Childrens: David F. Stein, Jr., Robert J. Stein, William H. Stein Information Detail Birthday June 25, 1911 Died on February 2, 1980 Nationality American Famous Columbia University, Harvard University, Scientists, Biochemists Spouses Phoebe Hockstader Known as William H. Stein Childrens David F. Stein, Jr., Robert J. Stein, William H. Stein Universities Columbia University,Harvard University Harvard University Columbia University Notable Alumnis Columbia University Harvard University Birth Place New York City, US Gender Male Father Fred Michael Stein Mother Beatrice Cecilla (Borg) Sun Sign Cancer Born in New York City, US Famous as Biochemist Died at Age 68

New York City, US

William Howard Stein born at Unsplash Birth Place

In 1936 while undergoing his graduation studies he married Phoebe Hockstader. They were blessed with three sons - William H. Stein, Jr. born in 1937, David F. Stein born in 1939 and Robert J. Stein born in 1944. Unsplash Personal Life

On February 2, 1980, he succumbed to heart attack in New York City at 68 years of age. Stanford Moore, who worked with him for years, wrote his obituary for the ‘National Academy of Sciences’. Unsplash Personal Life

He was born on June 25, 1911, in New York City, in a Jewish family to Fred Michael Stein and his wife Beatrice Cecilla (Borg) as their second child among three. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

His father was a businessman who took early retirement to dedicate into matters related to healthcare. His mother was a child rights activist. His elder brother Fred Micheal Stein, Jr. became a health advocate and younger sister Cecilia Borg Stein Cullman was a child rights activist like her mother. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He attended the ‘Lincoln School of Teachers College’ of ‘Columbia University’, a private co-educational university laboratory school in New York City from 1926 to 1927. The ideas and methods of the school were considered to be most progressive of that time. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Thereafter he joined ‘Phillips Exeter Academy’, a co-educational independent school, in Exeter, New Hampshire and studied there till 1929. He was inspired to take up fundamental science or medicine by his parents. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He then joined ‘Harvard University’ from where he completed BS in Chemistry in 1933. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

After completing his PhD he was inducted at the ‘Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research’ as a researcher in 1938 under renowned Jewish-German biochemist Max Bergmann. Here he had the opportunity to be associated with an outstanding group of researchers including Moore, Klaus Hofmann, Emil L. Smith and Joseph S. Fruton among others. It is at the Rockefeller that he conducted most of his significant research works. Unsplash Career

He and Moore were delegated to chalk out precise analytical procedures to analyse amino acid composition of proteins. However the ‘Second World War’ interrupted their work on proteins when Moore was enlisted as a technical aid in the ‘National Defense Research Council’ in Washington in 1942. Moreover during wartime the entire research group of Bergmann was engrossed to work for the ‘Office of Scientific Research and Development’. Unsplash Career

Following the death of Bergmann in 1944, the laboratory became devoid of a chief, although the research team carried on with their work. Unsplash Career

Post war Moore returned to Rockefeller Institute after accepting an offer of the then Director Herbert Gasser who provided Stein and Moore with the liberty and space of conducting research work of their line of interest. Unsplash Career

In 1952 he became Professor of Biochemistry at ‘Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research’ and served the post till 1965. Unsplash Career

Information	Detail
Birthday	June 25, 1911
Died on	February 2, 1980
Nationality	American
Famous	Columbia University, Harvard University, Scientists, Biochemists
Spouses	Phoebe Hockstader
Known as	William H. Stein
Childrens	David F. Stein, Jr., Robert J. Stein, William H. Stein
Universities	Columbia University,Harvard University Harvard University Columbia University
Notable Alumnis	Columbia University Harvard University
Birth Place	New York City, US
Gender	Male
Father	Fred Michael Stein
Mother	Beatrice Cecilla (Borg)
Sun Sign	Cancer
Born in	New York City, US
Famous as	Biochemist
Died at Age	68

William Howard Stein

American

Jun 25, 1911

Biography

Personal Details

New York City, US