TWENTIETH MEDAL AWARD 77 College of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He has worked closely with me and my staff in our development of extension programs, and undergraduate and graduate curricula in the cosmetic sciences. Here again, time does not permit complete treatment of his role as advisor and innovator in our activities leading to the development of badly needed educational programs in cosmetic sciences. He has served the College as Chairman of a select Advisory Council on Cosmetic Science Programs, and without the prestige of his name, and the hours of effort he has devoted, we might not, at this point, be in the position of launching baccalaureate and masters programs with a major in cosmetic science. As an industrialist, he has succeeded in developing a company which is world-renowned for the versatility and diversity of the materials it has made available to the cosmetic and allied industries. Parenthetically, I believe it is worthy of our attention to note that in an industry currently characterized by its cannibalization of its man- power, his company is known for the remarkable stability and loyalty of its excellent staff of scientists and technical workers. How else can we characterize the man we honor? It is my conten- tion that the total of all his qualities as a warm, compassionate, and well- balanced human being transcends all other facets of his character. It has been my privilege to have known and worked with him for almost ten years i.n a variety of projects and relationships. I have never known him to violate a trust, deviate from a promise, or to turn the results of our efforts toward personal gain. I sincerely believe that he is the most "unflappable" individual I have ever known because his personal reac- tion to situations of stress has always been one of imperturbable calm. He has unerring and unselfish compassion for his fellow human beings, regardless of their station in life. A true gentleman in every sense of the word, a man devoted to his lovely family and to many civic responsibilities, the recipient of the 1968 Gold Medal is truly a remarkable human being. Today, we live in a society which is daily beset by activities which threaten to destroy the very foundations of our civilization. At almost every turn we see evidence of violence and abrupt departures from the values of life that have been painfully developed over the centuries. In this climate, it is therefore a refreshing reaffirmation of our faith in the future to note in our midst that the example of a man's values has carried over into his family. His wife, Muriel, has been associated with many organizational activities in Health Agencies, and has been a Public

78 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Health Advisor to the Governor of New Jersey. His son Richard, hav- ing achieved his Ph. D., is presently Research Associate in Biophysics at the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University, and his daughter, Paula, has trained for and served as an elementary school teacher. We can find no finer capstone to a man's life, than to witness the effects of his example in stimulating his family toward activities in behalf of the human race. Ladies and gentlemen, it is with a feeling of deep personal pride that I present to you the recipient of the Society's Gold Medal, Mr. Lester Conrad! Acceptance Address BY LESTER I. CONRAD Mr. President, Dr. Kanig, Honored Guests, Friends and Fellow Members of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists: I accept this Award with humility and a deep feeling of gratitude to the Society and its Medal Award Committee. I must admit that I am delighted to join the distinguished scientists who have received this Award in the past and to know that the results of my labor have not gone unnoticed by my fellow workers. The investigations on lanolin chemistry for which I am being honored tonight began over thirty years ago when I realized that lanolin is a unique and abundant natural source of a whole array of fascinating chemicals. In the very early days I was completely engrossed in the chemical and engineering problems involved in the separation and puri- fication of cholesterol and related sterols. However, it soon became ap- parent to me that many lanolin compounds contain reactive groups which offer intriguing possibilities for the synthesis of new derivatives having valuable functional properties when applied to skin and hair. Taking up the challenge, I decided to become active in cosmetic chemistry at a time when the field was just emerging as a new area of chemical specialization. Looking back from where I stand. at this moment, I can safely say that that decision was a wise one. It is a source of great personal satisfaction to me that I have con- tributed • o the growth of modern cosmetics, ! feel strongly that one