Keith Beck

Ph.D. 1970
Retired Professor, Textile Chemistry (Elmhurst College, Purdue University, North Carolina State University)

My choices for graduate school were Purdue and Illinois. Purdue was 90 miles closer to my fiancée, so I chose that assistantship. It was a great choice.

My major professor was Dr. Robert Benkeser. He was an excellent mentor and role model. My research was finished in the summer of 1969. Doc always went on an annual family vacation to northern Minnesota. We hand wrote our dissertations on the yellow paper we checked out of the stock room. Structures were drawn with a pen and India ink using a Fieser Triangle. Doc’s secretary, Mona Imler, typed my dissertation. We weighed that ream of yellow paper, and he took the envelope and paper with him so he could send it back to me for typing. He said, “There are always rainy days.”

In 1965, our graduate class of 120 students started their advanced chemistry studies at Purdue. Half of us were majoring in organic. The newest assistant professor was Dr. Harry Morrison, a photochemist who became department head and then was appointed to the excited state of Dean. We were the first class for which only one foreign language was required. Most of us took German so we could read Beilstein. Literature searches required hours of pouring through the rows of printed Chemical Abstracts. The librarian, John Pinzelic, was very helpful.

One of our Ph.D. requirements was to register for the 10:30 Saturday morning organic seminar. During one semester, we were required to present to that group on a blackboard that was erased with a mop. I chose to present on the addition of lithium dialkylcuprates to alpha, beta-unsaturated ketones. At the end of the presentation, Dr. H. C. Brown (he said his parents were clairvoyant because his initials were HCB, the symbols for his Nobel-winning hydroboration reaction) asked me if I could come to his research group and expand on the topic a bit. His group normally had 16 doctoral students and 6-8 post-docs. It was an interesting experience.

My experience at Purdue taught me that I could successfully face significant academic challenges and succeed.