Source: Unknown Bergen County, NJ newspaper: c. 1952
Print Article | Open Image Viewer

A strong possibility that Dr. Albert Schatz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Schatz of 15-02 Eleventh Street, would be named a Nobel prize winner was seen this week as a result of strong protests from scientists all over the world at the recent failure of the Committee to select him. Dr. Schatz is a former resident of the Borough.

The scientific world was stunned by the announcement that Dr. Selman A. Waksman of Rutgers, who with Dr. Schatz is the co-discoverer of streptomycin, had been given the great honor without mention of the local man's name. It was pointed out, for instance, that the 1945 Nobel prize for the discovery of pencillin was shared by Sir Alexander Fleming, Dr. Ernest Chain and Sir Howard Florey, and that a similar procedure in the case of the streptomycin discovery would have been the only just procedure.

Now a professor at the National Agricultural College in Bucks County, Pa., Dr. Schatz was the senior author of the first scientific publication announcing the discovery of streptomycin and received his doctorate at Rutgers on the basis of his thesis, and in 1945, with Dr. Waksman, patented the drug.

Recent litigation, which resulted when Dr. Schatz discovered that personal profits were being made from streptomycin, ended in legal confirmation of the fact that Dr Schatz is "entitled to credit legally and scientifically as co-discoverer, with Dr. Selman A. Waksman, of streptomycin."

Facts in the case have been submitted to the Nobel prize committee on behalf of Dr. Schats.