OBITUARIES

Anthony San Pietro. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES.

Anthony G. San Pietro

ASPB member Anthony San Pietro died on Saturday, September 13. He had been a professor at Indiana University since 1968, where he settled after work at the Kettering Research Institute and the Johns Hopkins University.

Tony arrived at IU to chair the Department of Plant Sciences; he directed its activities and development until it became part of the newly formed Department of Biology in 1977. As a biochemist who nevertheless appreciated the contributions of taxonomists and evolutionists, he played an important role in moving what was a relatively classical department in the direction of modern plant biology.

In addition to serving as department chairman, he established and maintained an active laboratory for investigating the mechanisms of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. During the course of his career, he published over 160 papers on the mechanism of hydrogen-transfer reactions, photosynthetic electron transport and photophosphorylation, the chemistry of pyridine nucleotide coenzymes, biological solar energy conversion, and the use of biosaline environment and resources for chemical and fuel production. His outstanding research achievements attracted postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists from all over the world. Graduate students and postdocs from his lab went on to develop productive, visible careers as faculty members at such places as Duke University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Tokyo.

In 1980, Tony was appointed science adviser to the Office of the President of IU. From that vantage point he was able to put his connections with Washington and East Asia to good use, coordinating national efforts to bring Indiana and East Asian scientists together for fruitful meetings and research collaboration. As science adviser, he provided important insights and expertise to the president regarding the strengths and needs of the scientific enterprise within the IU system.

Throughout his career, Tony tirelessly promoted many avenues of scholarly communication. His editorship of the photosynthetic volumes of Methods in Enzymology, his part in organizing several meetings here and abroad, and his advisory role with international programs of the National Science Foundation will long be remembered by his fellow scientists. These accomplishments have placed the name of Indiana University prominently on the international map.

In 1975, Indiana University honored Tony by appointing him distinguished professor of plant biochemistry. He was recognized at the national level for his outstanding scientific achievements by being elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1983. He was married for 50 years to the late Alice San Pietro.

Contributed by Professor Jeffrey D. Palmer
Indiana University