Memories of Professor Harold A. Scheraga

"Chou meet Fasman!" he announced to a roomful of applause as if we're enacting Stanley meeting Livingstone at Cornell Baker Lab Symposium honoring his 65th birthday. Fasman had lost in touch with me after I moved to California— great seeing each other again. When I applied to Fasman for postdoc position in 1970, Scheraga said "You better do well otherwise my recommendations are worthless." Professor Applequist at Columbia told me to apply to Cornell— study with source in proteins— Scheraga, also with Fasman as postdoctorate. He said "Top researcher in proteins is Scheraga and polyamino acids expert is Fasman. No wonder you're the first in protein predictive method." Scheraga gave me Todd Fellowship (1965) after receiving 95% in Quantum Mechanics and 100% in his Protein Structure course so I could focus more in laboratory research. When Scheraga saw the literature books on my Lab bookshelf, he said "You should spend 100% time in science, otherwise don't waste my time, I'll have to let you go!" When I failed my first Ph.D. oral exam, Scheraga gave me a second chance. Mom was nervous, opened her Chinese Bible at random— "This is my Son whom I'm well pleased". I passed. After Dad died in 2000, Scheraga was like a father to me. I would compose "Number" web pages for his birthdays and send poems each year which he'd acknowledge right away. While composing "Number 99" for his 99th birthday, learned he died August 1, but his creative spirit lives on— always inspiring me in life. — Peter Y. Chou     Mountain View, 9-22-2020

My Chemistry Mentors Jon B. Applequist (1932-2017) Chemistry mentor (1962-1963) Columbia University Harold A. Scheraga (1921-2020) Chemistry mentor (1963-1970) Cornell University Gerald D. Fasman (1925-2003) Biochemistry mentor (1970-1977) Brandeis University