George H. Hitchings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Hitchings
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George H. Hitchings in 1988
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George Herbert Hitchings
April 18, 1905 Hoquiam, Washington, U.S.
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| Died | February 27, 1998 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Washington Harvard University |
| Known for | chemotherapy |
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George Herbert Hitchings was an American scientist who helped create important medicines. He won the Nobel Prize in 1988 for his work on drugs, especially those used in chemotherapy to fight diseases like cancer. He shared this award with Sir James Black and Gertrude Elion.
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Early Life and Education
George Hitchings was born in Hoquiam, Washington, in 1905. He grew up in several places, including Berkeley, California, San Diego, and Seattle.
He finished high school in Seattle in 1923. After that, he went to the University of Washington. He studied chemistry and graduated with honors in 1927. The next year, he earned his master's degree.
Hitchings then went to Harvard University. He became a teacher there and later studied at Harvard Medical School. He earned his Ph.D. (a high-level science degree) in 1933.
Career and Important Discoveries
After getting his Ph.D., Hitchings worked at Harvard and Case Western Reserve University. In 1942, he joined Wellcome Research Laboratories. There, he started working with Gertrude Elion in 1944. Together, they made many important discoveries.
Hitchings and his team focused on creating new medicines. They developed drugs to treat serious illnesses. Some of their key discoveries include:
- Medicines for leukemia, a type of cancer.
- Drugs to fight malaria, a disease spread by mosquitoes.
- Treatments for gout, a painful joint condition.
- Drugs used in organ transplantation to help the body accept new organs.
- Medicines to fight bacterial infections.
Their research also helped lead to major antiviral drugs. These drugs are used to treat infections like herpes and AIDS.
In 1967, Hitchings became a vice president at Burroughs-Wellcome, leading their research efforts. He retired in 1976 but continued to teach at Duke University for many years.
He also started the Triangle Community Foundation in 1983. This group helps support local communities. Hitchings is recognized in the Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame for his contributions.
Personal Life
George Hitchings was married twice. His first wife, Beverly Reimer Hitchings, passed away in 1985. He married Joyce Carolyn Shaver-Hitchings in 1989. She passed away in 2009.
George Hitchings died on February 27, 1998, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Awards and Recognition
George Hitchings received many awards for his groundbreaking work. Some of these include:
- The Passano award in 1969.
- The de Villiers award in 1970.
- The Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh in 1972.
- He became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 1974.
- In 1989, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
His most famous award was the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1988, which he shared with two other scientists.
Images for kids
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George H. Hitchings in 1988
See also
In Spanish: George Herbert Hitchings para niños
