ROBERT COBURN BACKUS, (Age 92)
Died on Thursday, March 9, 2006. His wife of 64 years, Beverly Torwelle Backus, died in May, 2005. He is also predeceased by his brother, Aaron and sister, Lucille Alt.
He was born in Carroll, Iowa on August 25, 1913. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Dakota Wesleyan in 1937 and earned graduate degrees from the University of Michigan (M.S. in chemistry, 1944; Ph.D. in bacteriology and immunology, 1951).
He was a pioneer in the use of the newly developed electron microscope and devised many techniques for its use while researching viruses. He authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers in the late 1940's and early 1950's on viruses and techniques for using the electron microscope.
In 1950, Dr. Backus joined the staff of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Wendell M. Stanley at the University of California, Berkeley, where he continued his research on viruses until 1956. In 1951, his work on viruses led to a one-year U.S. Department of Agriculture assignment in the United Kingdom researching foot and mouth disease among cattle.
In 1959, following service with the American Cancer Society, Dr. Backus began his career with the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that lasted 30 years. His many accomplishments included service as the Executive Secretary of the Tuskegee Syphilis Ad Hoc Advisory Panel from 1972 to 1973. The Advisory Panel concluded that previous research on African Americans with syphilis, which allowed them to go untreated during the course of the research, was conducted unethically. The Advisory Panels investigation led to compensation for the victims of the research and new protocols for the ethical treatment of human subjects of research. In 1973, he deposited a copy of the panels working papers in the National Library of Medicine.
He was an avid sailor and gardener.
Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Capital Hospice, P.O. Box 1576, Merrifield, VA 22116.
Published in The Washington Post on Mar. 19, 2006
Died on Thursday, March 9, 2006. His wife of 64 years, Beverly Torwelle Backus, died in May, 2005. He is also predeceased by his brother, Aaron and sister, Lucille Alt.
He was born in Carroll, Iowa on August 25, 1913. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Dakota Wesleyan in 1937 and earned graduate degrees from the University of Michigan (M.S. in chemistry, 1944; Ph.D. in bacteriology and immunology, 1951).
He was a pioneer in the use of the newly developed electron microscope and devised many techniques for its use while researching viruses. He authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers in the late 1940's and early 1950's on viruses and techniques for using the electron microscope.
In 1950, Dr. Backus joined the staff of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Wendell M. Stanley at the University of California, Berkeley, where he continued his research on viruses until 1956. In 1951, his work on viruses led to a one-year U.S. Department of Agriculture assignment in the United Kingdom researching foot and mouth disease among cattle.
In 1959, following service with the American Cancer Society, Dr. Backus began his career with the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that lasted 30 years. His many accomplishments included service as the Executive Secretary of the Tuskegee Syphilis Ad Hoc Advisory Panel from 1972 to 1973. The Advisory Panel concluded that previous research on African Americans with syphilis, which allowed them to go untreated during the course of the research, was conducted unethically. The Advisory Panels investigation led to compensation for the victims of the research and new protocols for the ethical treatment of human subjects of research. In 1973, he deposited a copy of the panels working papers in the National Library of Medicine.
He was an avid sailor and gardener.
Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Capital Hospice, P.O. Box 1576, Merrifield, VA 22116.
Published in The Washington Post on Mar. 19, 2006
ROBERT COBURN BACKUS, (Age 92)
Died on Thursday, March 9, 2006. His wife of 64 years, Beverly Torwelle Backus, died in May, 2005. He is also predeceased by his brother, Aaron and sister, Lucille Alt.
He was born in Carroll, Iowa on August 25, 1913. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Dakota Wesleyan in 1937 and earned graduate degrees from the University of Michigan (M.S. in chemistry, 1944; Ph.D. in bacteriology and immunology, 1951).
He was a pioneer in the use of the newly developed electron microscope and devised many techniques for its use while researching viruses. He authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers in the late 1940's and early 1950's on viruses and techniques for using the electron microscope.
In 1950, Dr. Backus joined the staff of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Wendell M. Stanley at the University of California, Berkeley, where he continued his research on viruses until 1956. In 1951, his work on viruses led to a one-year U.S. Department of Agriculture assignment in the United Kingdom researching foot and mouth disease among cattle.
In 1959, following service with the American Cancer Society, Dr. Backus began his career with the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that lasted 30 years. His many accomplishments included service as the Executive Secretary of the Tuskegee Syphilis Ad Hoc Advisory Panel from 1972 to 1973. The Advisory Panel concluded that previous research on African Americans with syphilis, which allowed them to go untreated during the course of the research, was conducted unethically. The Advisory Panels investigation led to compensation for the victims of the research and new protocols for the ethical treatment of human subjects of research. In 1973, he deposited a copy of the panels working papers in the National Library of Medicine.
He was an avid sailor and gardener.
Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Capital Hospice, P.O. Box 1576, Merrifield, VA 22116.
Published in The Washington Post on Mar. 19, 2006
Died on Thursday, March 9, 2006. His wife of 64 years, Beverly Torwelle Backus, died in May, 2005. He is also predeceased by his brother, Aaron and sister, Lucille Alt.
He was born in Carroll, Iowa on August 25, 1913. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Dakota Wesleyan in 1937 and earned graduate degrees from the University of Michigan (M.S. in chemistry, 1944; Ph.D. in bacteriology and immunology, 1951).
He was a pioneer in the use of the newly developed electron microscope and devised many techniques for its use while researching viruses. He authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers in the late 1940's and early 1950's on viruses and techniques for using the electron microscope.
In 1950, Dr. Backus joined the staff of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Wendell M. Stanley at the University of California, Berkeley, where he continued his research on viruses until 1956. In 1951, his work on viruses led to a one-year U.S. Department of Agriculture assignment in the United Kingdom researching foot and mouth disease among cattle.
In 1959, following service with the American Cancer Society, Dr. Backus began his career with the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that lasted 30 years. His many accomplishments included service as the Executive Secretary of the Tuskegee Syphilis Ad Hoc Advisory Panel from 1972 to 1973. The Advisory Panel concluded that previous research on African Americans with syphilis, which allowed them to go untreated during the course of the research, was conducted unethically. The Advisory Panels investigation led to compensation for the victims of the research and new protocols for the ethical treatment of human subjects of research. In 1973, he deposited a copy of the panels working papers in the National Library of Medicine.
He was an avid sailor and gardener.
Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Capital Hospice, P.O. Box 1576, Merrifield, VA 22116.
Published in The Washington Post on Mar. 19, 2006
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