William David McElroy (22 January 1917 – 17 February 1999) was an American

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

and academic administrator.

Biography

Early years

McElroy was born to William D. McElroy and Ora Shipley in Rogers, Texas. After graduating from McAllen High School in McAllen, Texas in 1935, he attended

Pasadena Junior College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a public community college in Pasadena, California. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. From 1928 to 1953, it operated as a four-year junior college, combining the la ...

in California, and went on to

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

on a football scholarship where he received his bachelor's degree in 1937. He earned his master's degree in biology at Reed College and his

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

at Princeton University in 1943.

Career

After college, McElroy became a professor at Johns Hopkins University. He initiated an independent research program in bioluminescence, recruiting students to collect fireflies to perform experiments. He discovered the key role that

luciferase Luciferase is a generic term for the class of oxidative enzymes that produce bioluminescence, and is usually distinguished from a photoprotein. The name was first used by Raphaël Dubois who invented the words ''luciferin'' and ''luciferase'', ...

and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) play in the process. He began working with the

Office of Naval Research The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...

and the National Institute of Health in the 1950s, and became a member of the President's Science Advisory Committee to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. He later became the director of the National Science Foundation from 1969 to 1972. He also served as the president of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

from 1975 to 1976. He became chancellor of the University of California San Diego from 1972 to 1980. He was awarded the Howard N. Potts Medal in 1971. He was also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the United States

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

, and the American Philosophical Society. In 1981, McElroy became a founding member of the World Cultural Council.

Personal life

McElroy married three times. He was first married to Nella Amelia Winch in 1940 with whom he had four children; Ann, Mary, Thomas and William, Jr. His second marriage was in 1967 to biochemist Marlene Anderegg DeLuca. Their one child is Eric Gene. After being widowed in 1987, he remarried again in 1997 to Olga Robles who survived him.

Honors

McElroy Ridge in the

Victory Mountains The Victory Mountains () is a major group of mountains in Victoria Land, Antarctica, about long and wide, which is bounded primarily by Mariner and Tucker glaciers and the Ross Sea. The division between these mountains and the Concord Mountains ...

of Victoria Land, Antarctica was named after McElroy by the

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN or US-ACAN) is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending commemorative names for features in Antarctica. History The committee was established ...

References

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External links

William D. McElroy Papers
MSS 483
Special Collections & Archives
UC San Diego Library. {{DEFAULTSORT:McElroy, William D. 1917 births 1999 deaths People from Rogers, Texas American biochemists Chancellors of the University of California, San Diego Founding members of the World Cultural Council United States National Science Foundation officials Pasadena City College alumni Princeton University alumni Reed College alumni Stanford University alumni Johns Hopkins University faculty Howard N. Potts Medal recipients Nixon administration personnel Members of the American Philosophical Society