Interview with John Gergely

Interview with John Gergely

Contributor(s):
History Associates Incorporated
Kinnane, Adrian (Interviewer)
Gergely, John
Publication:
Produced: 21 June 2004
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Interviews
Reminiscences
Abstract:
Dr. Gergely was born and raised in Hungary, and earned his MD degree at the University of Budapest in 1942. It was there that he first met Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who became head of the university's department of biochemistry in 1945. After earning his PhD in biochemistry at the University of Leeds, Gergely emigrated to the United States in 1948, where he obtained a position in Szent-Gyorgyi's laboratory at the National Institutes of Health. He has spent most of his career in Boston, at the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and at Harvard Medical School.. In this interview, Dr. Gergely reviews Szent-Gyorgyi's years at the University of Budapest in the mid-1940s, as well as his own, and Szent-Gyorgyi's decisions to emigrate to the United States. He then describes how his career path in the United States led to permanent positions in the Boston area, while Szent-Gyorgyi found real happiness conducting independent research in his own institute at Woods Hole. Dr. Gergely describes Szent-Gyorgyi's evolving research interests, from muscle to quantum physics, and its application to biology (the "living state") and finally to cancer. He also discusses Szent-Gyorgyi's work ethic in the laboratory, his dedication to science and personal independence, and his flair as a lecturer and teacher.. NOTE: An index to the transcript is located on pages 26-27.. NOTE: This interview is part of a series of NLM oral histories conducted with colleagues and friends of Albert Szent-Gyorgyi in 2004.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
28 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584924X174 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
WGBBLS
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584924X174
Archival Collection:
The Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Papers (Profiles in Science)