Edward Adelbert Doisy

Edward Adelbert Doisy, born on November 13, 1893, in Hume, Illinois, was a distinguished American biochemist and physician. He completed his A.B. degree in 1914 and his M.S. degree in 1916 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, later earning his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1920. His academic journey laid the foundation for a remarkable career in biochemistry.

In 1919, Doisy joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine, where he quickly advanced to associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry. By 1923, he had moved to Saint Louis University, taking on the role of professor and chairman of the newly established Department of Biochemistry. He dedicated his career to this department until his retirement in 1965, during which time it was renamed the E.A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry in his honor.

Doisy's groundbreaking work in the field of biochemistry earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943, which he shared with Henrik Dam for their discovery of vitamin K and its chemical structure. His contributions to science extended beyond this achievement; he also competed with Adolf Butenandt in the independent discovery of estrone in 1930, although only Butenandt received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939.

Throughout his career, Doisy was recognized for his contributions to science, being elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1938, the American Philosophical Society in 1942, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1948. After his passing in 1986, his legacy continued through the establishment of the Edward A. and Margaret Doisy College of Health Sciences and the Edward A. Doisy Research Center, which was built in 2007 following a generous gift of thirty million dollars from his family.