Edward Leete Award
Purpose. To recognize outstanding contributions to teaching and research in Organic Chemistry
Nature. The award will be presented no more than biennially during the fall national meeting of the American Chemical Society. The Award consists of a $1500.00 cash prize. The winner of this award and of the Gassman Award are the only two awards actually selected by the Organic Division.
Establishment. The award is named in honor of Edward Leete who, through his contributions to science and education, fostered an appreciation and love for organic chemistry. The award was endowed by contributions from Professor Leete's students and colleagues.
Rules of Eligibility. Nominees must be members of the Organic Division of the American Chemical Society who have made outstanding contributions to both teaching and research. Teaching should be considered in the broadest sense, including of professional chemists, the dissemination of information about chemistry to prospective chemists, to members of the profession, to students in other areas and to the general public. A nominee must also have accomplished outstanding creative work in any area of organic chemistry. Nominations should emphasize both the nominee's teaching and research contributions.
A nomination document should include:
- A letter of not more than 1000 words containing an evaluation of the nominee's accomplishments and a specific identification of the work recognized.
- A biographical sketch, including date of birth
- A list of publications and patents by the nominee.
- Up to two seconding letters, containing information not given in the letter of nomination, may be included. Nominations should emphasize the nominee's education contributions.
Nominations for the 2009 award will be due April 1, 2009.
Five copies of the nomination document, supporting materials, and seconding letters (up to two) should be sent to: Dr. Marisa Kozlowski, Secretary/Treasurer, Division of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA. 19104-6323. April 1, 2010
About Edward Leete (1928-1992)
Edward Leete was born on April 18, 1928 in Leeds, England. In 1950 he graduated with a B.Sc. in color chemistry from the University of Leeds. He received his Ph.D. in 1950 from the University of Leeds where he worked with William Bradley on the chemistry of dyes. He then moved to National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada to work with Leo Marion where he worked for two years as the Goldsmiths Company Traveling Fellowship then two years as a postdoctoral researcher on the chemistry of alkaloids. He began his academic career at UCLA as an instructor then assistant professor. He moved to the University of Minnesota in 1958 where he pursued the biogenesis of alkaloids using labeling studies combined with nuclear magnetic resonance. Ed loved to pursue science in the laboratory and he wrote some 250 papers. He also was a popular lecturer at the University of Minnesota winning the College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Teaching Award in 1976. At the age 63, Edward Leete succumbed to brain cancer on February 8, 1992. (taken in part from the eulogy by Wayland E. Nolan and the obituary published in Phytochemistry. Phytochemistry, 1992, 31, 3303-5)
For More Information see:
The University of Minnesota's Page on Ed Leete
Phytochemistry Obituary
Eulogy by Wayland E. Noland
Previous Edward Leete Award Winners Year Awardee 2009 Madeleine Joullie 2007 Michael P. Doyle 2005 David R. Williams 2003 Richard C. Larock 2001 Robert G. Bergman 1999 K. Peter C. Vollhardt 1997 No Award 1995 David N. Harpp
