EMIL GOTSCHLICH

GOTSCHLICH--Emil C. The Rockefeller University is deeply saddened by the passing of our cherished colleague Emil C. Gotschlich, who died on February 14 at age 88. A vital part of the Rockefeller community for decades, Emil was a compassionate and brilliant physician-scientist whose vaccines for bacterial meningitis have protected millions of people from deadly infection. Born in Bangkok in 1935 to German parents, both doctors, Emil spent WWII in Switzerland and emigrated to the United States in 1950. He received his M.D. from NYU School of Medicine before joining Rockefeller in 1960. Drafted in 1966, he was stationed at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where his development of a vaccine for meningitis, then devastating military recruit camps, virtually eliminated the disease among soldiers. His subsequent creation of a vaccine for meningitis A, a major health threat in developing countries, paved the way for others to develop vaccines for additional strains of the disease. In 1978, he was promoted to professor and senior physician at The Rockefeller University Hospital, where he served as Physician-in-Chief and Vice President for Medical Sciences from 1996 to 2005. A staunch advocate for the ethical conduct of clinical research, he co- created the university's human subjects protection program. Emil received the 1974 Squibb Award for excellence in infectious disease research and the 1978 Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award and was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. Aside from his brilliance and leadership, he is fondly remembered for his warmth, dedication, and humility. We extend our deepest condolences to Emil's entire family, including his wife Dr. Kathleen Haines and his children Emil Christofer Gotschlich, Emil Chandler Gotschlich, Hilda Christina Gartley, and Emily Claire Gotschlich. Barry S. Coller, Physician-in- Chief and Vice President for Medical Affairs; William E. Ford, Chair; and Richard P. Lifton, President, on behalf of The Rockefeller University community