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Harry Wasserman Obituary
Professor Harry Wasserman, a prize-winning chemist, member of the National Academy of Sciences, acclaimed teacher, and accomplished watercolorist, died at 93 in Lexington, Massachusetts on Dec. 29, 2013.
Harry grew up in and around Boston in a household often struggling to pay the rent. On weekends, he and his brothers would earn a few dollars sifting sand on Revere Beach for lost coins. Earning high marks at Cambridge High & Latin, Harry was awarded a Cambridge scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He started there in 1937 at age 16 and earned a B.S. in chemistry. While in college, Wasserman considered a career as an artist, studying with Boston painter and sculptor John Wilson.
After MIT, Harry began graduate studies at Harvard under the mentorship of the organic chemist R. B. Woodward, a future Nobel laureate. Harry interrupted his graduate studies in 1943 to serve in the 503rd Army Air Force in Africa and the Middle East. Rising to the rank of captain, he trained soldiers across the region to detect and protect themselves against chemical gas attacks.
Returning to Woodward's lab after the war, Harry met Elga Steinherz, a fellow chemist whom he married in 1947. Completing his Ph.D. research, he joined the Yale University faculty in 1948. There, he and his research group developed innovative methods for synthesizing antibiotics and other natural products. His many significant discoveries and accomplishments led to his election to both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
In the classroom, Prof. Wasserman taught organic chemistry for more than four decades, gaining admiration for making an often-dreaded course clear and enjoyable. Among his awards and accolades were Yale's Devane Medal for excellence in teaching, a Yale College prize for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching, and the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award.
Dr. Wasserman's students and colleagues remember him as a warm and witty friend and mentor, fascinated by the beauty of structures, natural and manmade. He was upbeat, down-to-earth and game for adventure, whether beachcombing for driftwood treasure with the kids and grandkids on Cape Cod, or exploring museums and marketplaces with Elga. He savored good stories, a firm handshake, Benny Goodman, Humphrey Bogart, and the Marx Brothers.
While traveling widely for his science, he always took his brushes and sketchbooks. He would often delight family and friends with letters or postcards illustrated with watercolors of people, ports and landscapes. His paintings of campus architecture graced the cover of the Yale summer course catalog for fifteen years. Jazz was Harry's other lifelong passion. A self-taught clarinetist, he played regularly with a number of jazz combos, including a quartet of Yale chemists performing as "The Gloom Exterminators."
In honor of Professor Wasserman's distinguished career, Yale University has established the Wasserman Prize for Excellence in the Teaching of Chemistry.
Professor Wasserman is survived by his wife Elga; his children Daniel, Diana, and Steven; seven grandchildren; one great-granddaughter, and his brother, Herbert.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Harry Wasserman
November 10, 2014
I wish Harry had taught Organic Chem to my class a few years earlier. I wanted to love it. Ken Davidson
Katherine Flynn
October 5, 2014
My sincerest condolences to the Wasserman family. In the mid-1070's I was fortunate enough to do graduate research in Professor Wasserman's group. As many have already said here he was indeed a Renaissance scholar. Chemistry, music, art and journal editor. I did not fully appreciate all he taught me at the time. I am forever in his debt.
Betsy Bell
March 29, 2014
Harry was a friend and colleague of my father's (Stanley Bell). I first met Harry in the early nineties, while I was still in college. I had dinner with Harry and my parents, during which I learned that, not only was Harry a very accomplished scientist, he was passionate about art and painting, and he was keenly interested in my thoughts and academic pursuits. He was kind and funny and thoughtful. A couple years later, Harry visited me in new york to congratulate me on my first job out of college. Harry made a big impression on me. He had done great things, and yet was so humble and giving. What a gift to have crossed paths with him. My deepest condolences to Elga and the rest of Harry's family.
Roberta Friedman
February 25, 2014
Stan and I loved Harry dearly. Stan shared their mutual love of medicine and music--and they made beautiful music together. Hanging in my studio are 2 small watercolors that Harry and I painted together in Wellfleet of the pines surrounding the house we loved so much to visit. We will miss him. We honor his life and his presence in ours.
Joel Freundlich
February 12, 2014
I had the pleasure of working in Harry's lab during the summer of 1989. It was an amazing experience and convinced me to go on to graduate school and eventually become a professor. Harry was a wonderful educator and scientist. Most of all, I remember him as such a nice person who made everyone feel at home in his group. I send my most sincere condolences to his family.
Giuseppina Baracchi-Krause
January 31, 2014
Dear Harry,
when I came to New Haven from Italy (together with my husband Norbert, a Postdoc in Martin Saunders' group) in 1987, you gave me the chance to work in your group, to learn a lot of chemistry, and to make friends. I found a new home: you and your group were my American Family.
I remember with love your warm smile, your encouraging words and your kindness. Your support meant a great deal to me.
Your friendliness and great personality helped create such a wonderful atmosphere in the lab. I remember with joy my days back in New Haven, in the Wasserman group.
I came to visit a couple of times since then, bringing along my daughter and my son to meet you. You loved children so much, so you made them feel great too. They still remember you with love and a great smile.
Dear Harry, thank you so much for all of this, and most of all for teaching us to love life beyond every border! May you rest in peace. To Elga, your children and grandchildren our sincere condolences.
Giuseppina Baracchi-Krause
with Norbert, Fabienne and Kevin
Dortmund, Germany
Ronald Gambale
January 14, 2014
As I read through the many wonderful accolades and stories from Harry's friends , colleagues and students , I was certainly not at all surprised by their praise for him as a compassionate , caring and mentoring figure. While a young graduate student in the Wasserman group , I had a serious bout with a major abdominal illness which became life threatening and took me away from my research several times for many months at a time. Throughout that long ordeal , Harry continued to support me in his group , he never lost faith in me , and I recently found a number of old letters of encouragement he sent me while I was recuperating. The scientific community is noteworthy for many things indeed , but loyalty and patience are usually not among them in such competitive environments. I dare say no one else but Harry Wasserman would have given me the opportunity to finally complete my graduate education after nearly seven years. He was not only my advisor and mentor , he was my true guardian angel. He was in every way a man for the ages , an artist , a musician , a writer , a teacher , an inventor and even though it pales in comparison , I am honored to call him my friend. To his entire wonderful gifted family , I send my deepest regards for his passing. If you find yourself at a crossroad at any point in your lives , stop and ask yourself what would Harry do , and you will have the direction that you seek.
The young Harry H. Wasserman
Fred Ziegler
January 13, 2014
Harry was a wonderful colleague from the time that he informed me of my offer from Yale in 1965 until his departure from the Yale community. He was a true Renaissance man: scientist, musician and artist! He will be sadly missed but fondly remembered.
Brian Stoltz
January 12, 2014
Harry was a dear friend and mentor during my time as a graduate student at Yale in the mid-nineties. My wife Erna and I had the pleasurable opportunity to housesit for the Wasserman's and were lucky to know them through this experience. Harry made such a mark on us that we vowed to name our first-born son after him. In 2004 Harry W. and Harry S. met here in Pasadena (see attached photo)!
During my time at Yale, Wasserman also told me about his graduate work with Woodward and about a small molecule called 2-quinuclidone. With Harry's best wishes, we completed a synthesis of that molecule in 2006. He was nice enough to write an introduction to our article about the history of twisted amides and the relationship to the wartime penicillin effort.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v441/n7094/full/441699a.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v441/n7094/full/nature04842.html
Harry was such a special person. He showed me that it was indeed possible for a famous chemistry professor to have a multifaceted and rich life outside of the lab as well as in it! Accompanying his clarinet on the guitar to “Georgia on my Mind” was a high point of my stay at the Wasserman house. Some time after that, while I was in my laboratory in the old Sterling building (a room that happened to be Harry's first lab at Yale as he had told me many times), I cut my hand rather severely on a piece of glassware. Luckily, Harry was walking by the lab at that moment and without missing a step he calmly escorted me outside, into his car, and off to the Yale health center. All the while, he was peacefully whistling a tune that I can only think might have been “Georgia…”!
Our deepest condolences to Elga and the entire of the Wasserman family.
Brian, Erna, Harry, and Teddy
Kenneth wiberg
January 8, 2014
Knowing Harry was the high point of my years at Yale. He could do everything - a well known scientist, as well as editor, artist and musician. His friendliness and general good will infused the chemistry department and made it a great place to work for all of the faculty. He was one of a kind!
Lynda Christian
January 8, 2014
I first met Harry about 30 years ago; Elga and I had been roommates on a sponsored tour of China, and I got to know Harry through Elga. I would describe Harry as a man with a permanent twinkle in his eye. He always had something funny to say. He loved people, and people loved him. He was the kind of person with whom you would choose to be on a desert island. Funny, smart, caring, enthusiastic about life--a perfect mensch. He left us a great legacy--himself!
Skip Atkins
January 8, 2014
Harry was far ahead of his time. When I was a teenager, long ago, before the sixties were the sixties, he seemed to know what all the other Yale professors only slowly and painfully learned were the secrets of a good life- to be admiring and supportive of his accomplished wife; cheerful, affectionate and informal with his children; modest about his professional achievements; and delighted with the world beyond the university. He invited us to listen to him play Dixieland with friends in a basement somewhere- Dixieland! The other professors might play Bach for solo violoncello. Great music, yes, but without the joys of improvisation and shared creation. I rarely saw him after those high school years, but last summer my mother showed me the book of beautiful watercolors he had painted. What an eye he had, what an ear, what a heart and mind.
Mingde Xia
January 6, 2014
Sincere condolences to Elga and the family!
I had great time when I worked at Harry's lab as his postdoc in 1998-1999, then joined Johnson & Johnson based on his suggestion. Harry was an excellent professor and a great artist! He was such a nice person and will be missed a lot!
Bob Amici
January 6, 2014
Anytime I think back to my days in the
Wasserman group (1983-1988), I always smile. Harry was a truly unique and wonderful gift - celebrated and admired chemistry professor, caring graduate school advisor and mentor, artist, musician, and one of the greatest true gentlemen I have ever met.
He saw the art and beauty in everything, and his creativity is unmatched. I still tell (and retell) Harry stories, like his ability to draw a perfect circle on a chalkboard, the one-string base, his cats Lima and Peru, and, my personal favorite, the Ruff Degradation plot (Harry told his undergraduate organic class that he was surprised that his students were confusing Oskar Ruff with the famed jazz base player, Willie Ruff. Ever the showman, he kept that story going for at least a month. Finally, he was so apparently "exasperated" that he announced in class, "Oskar Ruff is the chemist. This is Willie Ruff" and in strolled Willie, who Harry had secretly invited to his class. I had played undercover sneak to get Willie and his bass into the class. Together, Harry and Willie jammed! The smile on Harry's face was unforgettable!!)
It was an honor and a privilege to have met and worked with, Harry. You always made us, your students, feel like friends and family. You treated us with kindness, with care, with a teacher's love, and I will always be grateful for that.
I learned a great deal from you, Harry.....oh, and a lot of chemistry, too. RIP.
Ralph Robinson
January 4, 2014
Extending my deep condolences to Elga and the rest of the Wasserman family. I worked in Harry's group as a graduate student from 1979 until 1983 and also had the pleasure of being a teaching assistant for his sophomore org chem class. Harry was a very special person - I learned so much from him and have so much to thank him for.
A few of my memories of Harry: his friendly approachability - his door was always open to students and he always seemed delighted to see you; his enthusiasm for creativity, not just in chemistry but also in art and music - he always gave his students plenty of room to think for themselves and to explore; his flair for drawing beautiful chemical structures; his amazing margarita demonstration in org class lighting a Bunsen burner with (what would seem to be) his breath to demonstrate the lack of reactivity of salt with alcohol (we never did figure out how he did that one!)
Harry was very supportive of people in their careers. I am forever indebted to him for helping me secure my job in the pharmaceutical industry, going to bat for me and helping me secure interviews in the States while I was postdocing overseas.
My last significant interactions with Harry were in 2002-3, when, after about 20 years, we put together a full paper for Tetrahedron covering my doctoral work. It was a lot of fun working with him again! Also in that timeframe, I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary - my wife conspired with Harry for me to receive a Wasserman watercolor as a gift. Harry was so generous, rebuffing payment. It's a rendition of the Harkness Tower at Yale. We have it hanging in our dining room. I love it. Thanks Harry!
Amir Hoveyda
January 4, 2014
There will not be another like Harry Waaerman. He was unique in so many impressive ways. I have lost a significant part of myself with the passing of this truly great human being.
Don Berdahl
January 4, 2014
Louise and I send our condolences to Elga and the family. What a privilege it was to be associated with the Wasserman group. I had the opportunity to TA for Harry's organic chemistry class, one Fall, and got to witness the legendary margarita lecture and listen to the clarinet played in the service of chemical education. I was amazed at his ability to teach and entertain and never tired of watching him emphasize points by inscribing perfect circles on the blackboard. The group parties at Harry and Elga's house occasionally featured the appearance of the Lars Onsager “one string base,” with graduate students and postdocs fumbling to lay down a base line to a jazz album playing in the background, while learning there is more to life than just chemistry. The world will miss this amazing man.
Steven Baratz
January 3, 2014
My parents were friends with Harry and Elga (through Yale) and our families have been close since childhood, in Conn. & Mass. What I remember most about Harry was his genuineness. He was and shall remain for me a mentor and role model in how to give people your full attention. Whenever I spoke to him I felt his care and interest. Sending condolences particularly to his family and also to others who knew, admired, loved and respected him.
Bob Dion and HHW, Sterling Chem Lab 2007
Bob Dion
January 3, 2014
My condolences to the family. HHW lived a long and full life, and will be missed. I enjoyed working in the Wasserman Group at Yale from 1979-1983. "The Chief" was a fine mentor and a true Renaissance man. He demonstrated that one day when we took a break from a project review and he offered to show me some pictures from a trip to South America. Expecting photos, I was treated to a series of watercolors he had painted while on a boat excursion!
He was also very warm and empathetic. As a result of injuries from a bicycling accident that I had while in grad school, I spent several weeks at Yale New Haven Hospital. Unable to speak, I communicated in writing. One day when he came to visit, Harry grabbed my note pad and "conversed" with me by passing notes back and forth for quite a while. Eventually he started laughing when he discovered that he had a voice...and that I could still hear!
Madeleine Joullie
January 3, 2014
Sincere condolences to the family. Harry was a good friend and a unique person. He will be missed greatly by all.
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