Stanford Roodman

B.S. 1961
Retired Professor - Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University Medical School, 1970-1999

I applied only to Purdue and was fortunate to be admitted because my high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Joe E. House, suggested that I go there since Purdue's Chemistry Department was excellent. Interestingly, Mr. House taught only three years at University Senior High School, University City, MO, and then started as a division head at General Mills, earned a PhD in economics at the University of Chicago, worked for the United Nations in Africa on the reclamation of toxic waste ponds, and finally was elected to the National Academy of Engineering! So, I was extremely lucky to have this talented man as a teacher, advisor, and friend for many years.

I was never sure I could make it as a chemist when I started in West Lafayette, but going through all the courses convinced me that I had made the correct choice in chemistry at Purdue. I was in a fraternity and that was a wonderful experience throughout my four years.

I studied inorganic, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry and realized those were not for me. After earning a degree at Purdue, I discovered that biochemistry indeed did fit my interests and brain. I went on to get a doctorate degree at the University of Michigan where Purdue’s foundational knowledge helped me.

My chemistry advisor told me in 1960 that not much was happening in biochemistry so I should take the grad course Organic Qualitative Analysis. I followed his advice and took this very hard course. Thirty years later when I returned for a Homecoming Weekend, I went and found Professor Joseph Wolinsky in his office and told him I had some difficult unknowns in his course. He quickly went to his file cabinet and found his grade book from 1961 and agreed with me that I had challenging unknowns. Amazing that he was still on the faculty, and he was that organized! When I did take biochemistry, I found it exceedingly exciting and was lucky to be part of the golden age biochem and molecular biology.

Purdue is a great university. You will work very hard, but the long-term benefits will be worth it.