[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING SUNY BROOKLYN PROFESSOR ROBERT FURCHGOTT RECIPIENT OF THE 
                        NOBEL PRIZE FOR MEDICINE

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor distinguished Professor 
Emeritus Robert Furchgott recipient of the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
  Professor Furchgott received the Nobel Prize for Medicine as a much 
deserved salute for a long, distinguished and continually evolving 
career. Furchgott's love for science began as a young man growing up in 
the great state of South Carolina. After earning a doctorate in 
biochemistry at Northwestern University in Illinois, he headed to New 
York's Cornell Medical Center. In 1956, he landed a position at SUNY 
Downstate (now called SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn). He 
remained there until his retirement in 1989, and is now a professor 
emeritus.
  Doctor Furchgott, always modest and unassuming, stated that a lucky 
mistake led to his discovery of the role in nitric oxide in vascular 
relaxation. Those that know him best know that this is his style. The 
Nobel Prize was not only for his pioneering discovery but it is also in 
recognition of his years of hard work and perseverance. Even as a 
tireless researcher, he has also been dedicated to the responsibility 
of shaping the next generation of pioneers. He never turns down 
students' request to read their research papers.
  The professor, a giant in the field of medicine, is truly a role 
model and an inspiration for our children. A man of great conviction 
and passion for increasing the body of medical knowledge we will all 
benefit from, Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle to join me in saluting the achievement of Professor Robert 
Furchgott.

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