TWENTIETH MEDAL AWARD Lester I. Conrad 75 EvI. OGV •¾ JosEPH L. K^Nm, PH.D.* Mr. President, Mr. President-Elect, Distinguished Guests, fellow members of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Ladies and Gentlemen: It has been my privilege in recent years to attend many functions such as this dinner, when members of organizations gather for the purpose of honoring an individual for past accomplishments or services, or both. On each of these occasions, it has occurred to me that the man being honored is viewed by those in the audience in many different ways, de- pending, of course, on the individual interpretation we each place on the recital of the man's character, activities, and achievements. Each of us, quite naturally, reacts to a given situation in a manner which is con- trolled by our own needs, our own accomplishments, and our own sense of security concerning our status in society. So it is when we regard one of our fellow men who has been singled out for some special recogni- tion. Notwithstanding these differences, I daresay that there exists among those present in this ballroom tonight a total agreement concerning the level and intensity of respect and admiration which this year's recipient of our Society's highest honor so richly deserves. Considering his many years of service to the field of cosmetic science on the local, national, and international levels, and his widespread circle of friends, associates, and colleagues, it would appear that a recital of his activities and accomplishments, before this gathering, would be highly redundant. I prefer to view our medalist not in terms of lists of performance and achievements, but rather as a man possessed of so many facets of superior qualities that to dissect each for separate treatment would detract from, and thus impair, our conceptualization of the entire man. And yet, we must consider some of these facets in terms of how the man has functioned and the pathways of his life that have led him to this moment of honor. As a scientist, his accomplishments in the complex area of lanolin and sterol chemistry for almost thirty years have directly influenced our *Dean, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Columbia University, New York, N. Y,

76 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS knowledge of these materials. He has also affected the capabilities of the research cosmetic chemist in developing many superior products which might never have been achieved without the availability of our medalist's developments. His contributions to the chemistry of lanolin and its derivatives, and to the utilization of these compounds in a wide variety of specialized products have been recognized by his co-workers around the world as major contributions in bringing order and comprehension to an area previously characterized as chaotic and empirical. As an author, he has demonstrated the excellent quality which is the hallmark of the true scientist by sharing the results of his research and the fruits of his labors with the world. As an author and co-author of many papers in his field of specialization, he has always attempted to add his contribution to the total storehouse of knowledge which has proved so useful to the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and related industries. Whenever called upon, he has never hesitated to accomplish the same goals by serving as guest speaker or lecturer at many scientific meetings and at educational institutions, here and abroad. As a leader and as a worker in our Society, he has been responsible for more activities and offices than my allotted time permits me to re- count. When we consider his years of service to this Society and its many committees, and to the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists, we find few examples to parallel his total endeavors. His terms of office as President of the Society, as President of the IFSCC, and the many other functions he served, are exemplary in the numerous innovations and accomplishments directly attributable to his efforts. His guidance and leadership on the international level have been instrumental in fostering the exchange o[ technical information between member societies, and have resulted in the establishment of the IFSCC Award to be presented for the best paper at each International Congress. Here again, we discover evidence of his commitment to the dissemination of knowledge, and his understanding of the need for recognition of su- perior performance in this area. As a man dedicated to the support and furtherance of education, our medalist has given unstintingly of his time, effort, and resources to the educational activities of the Society, as well as to educational institu- tions. In this latter respect, I, and the institution I represent, have been the recipients of the results of his activities in behalf of education. Despite the many demands made on him, he has cheerfully and will- ingly agreed to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of Columbia's