Fogarty Center's Schmidt Retires
By Irene Edwards
Dr. Jack R. Schmidt, director of the Fogarty International Center's Division of Advanced Studies, has retired from the government after 13 years at FIC and a total of 45 years of service. In the course of his long career with the Army, Navy and, finally, NIH, he always succeeded in combining his research interests with a commitment to global science and international health.
Dr. Jack R. Schmidt
His first exposure to the international science scene took place in 1953, while he was working as a virologist at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research -- and it was nothing if not exotic. First, he worked in a laboratory that was trying to isolate the agent that caused Korean hemorrhagic fever, a disease that was creating havoc among U.S. troops in Korea. The causative agent remained unknown until the late 1970's, when it was found to be Hantaan virus. Subsequently, he worked in a lab that was isolating and characterizing a new virus -- Mayaro -- which was the cause of a febrile illness in Japanese immigrants working in an agricultural project on the edge of the Bolivian rain forest. Finally, he found himself in rural Japan, bleeding black-crowned night herons and pigs in the interest of identifying the natural hosts of Japanese encephalitis virus.
Changing allegiance from the Army to the Navy in 1958, Schmidt began his first long-term overseas posting as head of the virology department at the Naval Medical Research Unit in Cairo, Egypt. He spent the next 8 years there, working on a number of arthropod-borne viruses, particularly on sandfly fever. Since one of the major missions of the Department of Defense overseas laboratories was to define the potential threat posed by infectious diseases to military operations in various parts of the world, his horizons in Africa reached southward, and in 1966, he established and directed the operations of a new tropical medicine laboratory in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Emperor Haile Selassie presented him with a medal in recognition of his work. In 1972, he returned to the United States to become director of programs and scientific advisor at the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and the Medical Development Command in Bethesda. In this position, his functions shifted from bench science to management, but his mission continued to encompass international research, since the Navy had research units in Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Peru, in addition to the one in Cairo, for whose research programs he was ultimately responsible.
Finally, in 1984, after having taken his first retirement, he came to FIC, where he served as chief of the International Coordination and Liaison Branch and acting deputy director of the center before taking over stewardship of the Scholars-in-Residence Program. This gave him the opportunity to host some of the most eminent researchers from the U.S and abroad, to introduce them to intramural scientists with common interests, and to create an atmosphere in which they could be maximally productive.
After these 45 years as a researcher, manager and facilitator, Schmidt has decided to retire once again, this time to pursue his interests in art and music, travel, and embark on new adventures. FIC director Dr. Philip Schambra recently said, "FIC will miss Jack Schmidt. A classicist in his tastes and his work, he values simplicity, clarity, balance and perspective. It has been of great benefit to FIC and NIH that he came out of retirement to share these attributes and to contribute his experience and skill." All his colleagues wish him and his wife Mary Lou a rich and fulfilling retirement. They will watch and wait to see if yet another career lies in store.
DRG's Hyatt Bids Farewell To NIH After 31 Years
By Lynne Williams
Dr. Asher A. Hyatt, a person whose name is often considered synonymous with peer review, has retired after 31 years of service in the Division of Research Grants.
Dr. Asher A. Hyatt
A native of England, he received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of London in 1954. After postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked as a research scientist in the Boston area until 1966, when he came to DRG as executive secretary of the medical and organic chemistry fellowships review committee. He subsequently became executive secretary of the medicinal chemistry A study section, and in 1979 was promoted to chief of the chemistry and related sciences review section, providing leadership and guidance to about 20 peer review study sections in the basic sciences. He has chaired the STEP committee, served on NIH-wide policy and procedure committees, and presented many talks on the NIH peer review process in this country and in London and Hungary. He received the NIH Merit Award in 1980, the NIH Director's Award for leadership skills in 1983, and three Public Health Service special achievement and recognition awards.
A farewell open house brunch at the Rockledge-2 building was attended on Hyatt's last day by his many friends and colleagues in DRG and several of the institutes. Dr. Ellie Ehrenfeld, DRG director, spoke of the high regard in which he has been held in the scientific community. In a Quaker meeting format, many of those present described their recruitment, mentoring, and supervision by Hyatt, and his uncompromising values of excellence, fairness and integrity. With a tinge of sadness, others described his retirement as premature, a manifestation of reinvention. Earlier in the week, Dr. Marvin Cassman, NIGMS director, had interrupted the proceedings of his national advisory council to bid farewell and seek an ovation to a valued friend to NIGMS. Hyatt had attended more than 90 meetings of the council.
Hyatt intends to remain in Bethesda, spending more time with his son and daughter and friends, and exploring the myriad things to see and do in this area, this country and around the world. He also intends to work part-time with other agencies and local universities involved in grant application and peer review processes. Last, but by no means least, he is determined to learn to play better bridge.
McFarland, NCI Chemist, Retires
After 39 years at NIH, Vivian W. McFarland retired recently.
From 1957 to 1989, she was a chemist in the laboratory of Dr. Peter T. Mora and for the last 7 years she was a chemist in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Udey, NCI Dermatology Branch. Her long and distinguished career at NCI is remarkable for the variety of responsibilities she assumed, and for her exceptional competence.
Vivian W. McFarland
McFarland came to NCI in 1957 as an analytical chemist. Early in her career, she was involved in the isolation of viruses and characterization of macromolecules via physicochemical and immunochemical methods. In Udey's laboratory, she expanded her repertoire to include techniques of cellular immunology. She also made significant contributions outside the laboratory. She served as an EEO counselor for NCI from 1986 to 1989, and subsequently served as a member of an NCI promotions review board. McFarland was awarded the NCI EEO Special Achievement Award in 1989 for the contributions she made as an EEO counselor and received the NIH Director's Award in 1995. She has made many additional contributions that, in aggregate, may be more important than those that have been formally recognized. She actively supported the laboratory efforts of many postdoctoral fellows and frequently provided sage advice to young (and not so young) people regarding both laboratory and personal matters.
McFarland set the standard for excellence as a technical specialist, and as a human being. She looks forward to finding out what people do between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. everyday, and to smelling the roses. She will be greatly missed by her many friends and colleagues at NIH.
DRG's Jones Retires After 44 Years of Government Service
Dr. Lynwood Jones, Jr., retired recently after 44 years of government service, 25 of which he spent with the Division of Research Grants. Prior to his retirement, he was scientific review administrator for the immuno-logy, virology, and pathology study section, Referral and Review Branch.
Dr. Lynwood Jones, Jr.
A native of Petersburg, Va., Jones received a B.S. in biology from Virginia Union University, an M.S. in embryology from Virginia State College, and a Ph.D. in microbiology and biochemistry from Catholic University of America. Prior to joining DRG, he worked as a research microbiologist at the biological laboratories at Ft. Detrick, where he planned, conducted, and evaluated research in bacteriology.
Jones joined DRG in 1972 as a biologist, became a health scientist administrator in March 1975 and worked as a scientific evaluative officer in the Research Analysis and Evaluation Branch. He became executive secretary of the clinical sciences study section in 1979, which later was named the immunology, virology, and pathology study section. He has served on the training advisory committee since its inception, as well as other committees on peer review.
In addition to his work at DRG, Jones has held a faculty position at the University of the District of Columbia as adjunct professor in microbiology (1971-1980) and has taken an active role in community affairs. From 1956 to 1964, he played a leadership role in the civil rights activities in Frederick, Md., a period of accomplishment in his life of which he is very proud. More recently, he has worked with high schools in mentoring young people and taking an active role in science fairs in the Washington area. He is the author of numerous publications and a member of the American Society of Microbiology, the Research Scientists of America, and Sigma Xi.
Looking back over his experiences at DRG, Jones reflected, "It has been a very rewarding and exciting career. I have really enjoyed working with everyone in the division and the NIH scientific community. It is especially exciting to see the improvements over the years in peer review."
He and his wife Virginia have one son, Lynwood III, who is a practicing physician in infectious disease in Schaumburg, Ill. After retirement, Jones expects to remain active in his leadership role in the community, and to continue mentoring young scientists.
Up to Top