Harold A. Scheraga

1921 - 2020

Harold Scheraga, the George W. and Grace L. Todd Professor Emeritus in the chemistry department at Cornell University passed away August 1, 2020.  A biophysicist, he was regarded as a pioneer in protein biophysics and had been especially influential in the study of protein solvation and the hydrophobic effect as it relates to protein folding.

 

Born October 18, 1921 in Brooklyn, New York, he spent his early life in Monticello, New York. The family returned to Brooklyn  following the 1929 Wall Street Crash and struggled economically through the Great Depression. He received his bachelor's degree from CCNY in 1941 and his Ph.D. from Duke University in 1946. During his graduate work, he spent time on projects related to the US war effort in World War II as well as on his own research.   After graduation, he spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, where he first began to work with proteins.[4]

Beginning with an appointment as an instructor in 1947, Scheraga spent his entire academic career at Cornell University,  becoming an associate professor in 1950, and full professor in 1958. He became the Todd Professor of Chemistry in 1965 and retired, assuming emeritus status, in 1992.   Scheraga served as the department chair from 1960-67. Throughout his faculty career, Scheraga taught undergraduate courses in physical chemistry, as well as graduate courses focused more specifically on proteins. After retirement Scheraga continued his research which is still ongoing.

Scheraga, who has published nearly1400 scientific papers, had a  research career focused on protein biophysics, beginning in the 1940s when little was known about the subject. His work on protein solvation, the hydrophobic effect, and the consequences for protein folding was controversial in its early stages, but has been highly influential. He has also been a significant contributor in theoretical and computational biophysics, developing statistical mechanical models for the hydrophobic effect and playing a key role in early molecular mechanics models of proteins, developing force fields for use in protein and peptide simulations.  Most of his later work has focused on molecular dynamics simulations of proteins and protein folding, particularly as compared to NMR measurements.

Scheraga has received numerous awards in recognition of his influence in the protein biophysics field.

Guggenheim Fellow, 1956
Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, 1957
Honorary Doctorate, Duke University 1960
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1966
Member of the United States National Academy of Sciences, 1966
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1967
Repligen Corporation Award in Chemistry of Biological Processes, 1990
Fellow of the Biophysical Society, 1999
Doctor of Science honoris causa CCNY 2018

 

Scheraga was predeceased in January by his wife of 76 ½ years, Miriam Kurnow, his parents, Samuel and Etta Scheraga, and his brother Morton.   He is survived by his brother David, his 3 children Judith Stavis (Donald), Deborah Scheraga (Aurel Kleinerman), and Daniel Scheraga (Janet), 5 grandchildren Jonathan Stavis (Suzanne), Rebecca Stavis, Alexandra Kleinerman (John Hohm), Dana Kleinerman, Jeffrey Scheraga (Naima), and 4 great grandchildren Luke and  Reid Stavis, and Wolfe and Kai Hohm.

A symposium in his honor is being planned after the covid-19 crisis ends.  Burial will be family only, Wednesday August 5, 2020 at Lakeview Cemetery in Ithaca, NY

In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Ithaca High School Harold A. Scheraga Chemistry Scholarship Fund: c/o Daniel Scheraga 70 Clinton Street, Tully, NY 13159

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