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00:01:00 Good afternoon. I met Bert in 1965 when I was a hard-charging young sales manager for Syntex Laboratories.

00:01:19 The occasion was a major national sales meeting. I think there was about 30 sales reps gathered in Monterey, California, at the Highlands Inn.

00:01:28 And Bert had just been named President of Syntex Laboratories and had moved up from Mexico.

00:01:35 And quite frankly, I think this was the first time that he had ever gone to a sales meeting.

00:01:40 And he had come out of that very diligent, academic, conservative atmosphere that was Syntex Research.

00:01:49 We talked about a couple of products called Synolar. I made a speech, I recall that very clearly,

00:01:55 and used some rather rude remarks, if you will, to get the troops fired up about the products that we were going to sell.

00:02:04 And I saw Bert's jaw drop because he had never been exposed to the razzmatazz of marketing people within the organization.

00:02:13 And I recognized that my career was probably in jeopardy at that point in time.

00:02:18 But the delightful thing to me is that at the end of the meeting, Bert took me aside and said,

00:02:23 Can we walk around the grounds and talk?

00:02:26 And we spent two hours strolling, talking not about my speech, but talking about the problems within the Syntex Laboratories marketing organization,

00:02:37 the opportunities, how could he strengthen the organization?

00:02:41 And there were a number of attributes that I found coming through that day that were true of Bert in the 25 years that I got to work with him.

00:02:52 The attributes were those of an obvious, intelligent mind.

00:02:57 Here's a man that knew nothing about sales or marketing, yet he could ask the most penetrating, intelligent questions about how the company was organized.

00:03:07 He was a man that was president of Syntex Laboratories, and I was manager of sales services.

00:03:12 And not once did he pull rank on me.

00:03:15 Bert was not a big shot.

00:03:17 Bert was a man who could be comfortable with people that he trusted and certainly happy and comfortable with his friends.

00:03:24 I found those attributes to be the foundation of a friendship that did last 25 years,

00:03:31 one where Bert served me as a mentor, as an advisor, as a colleague, and most dearly to me and most cherished is as a friend.

00:03:42 There's a lot I could tell you about Bert, but I think that story gives you a little character, a little insight into the man.

00:03:50 And I think most of the other speakers who will come here today are going to share some of their memories of Bert with you.

00:03:58 I'd like to introduce the next person to come to the podium, and it's a very special person.

00:04:04 It's a person who gave Bert the support and love that he needed in the latter part of his life and was with him to the very end.

00:04:13 I think you all know Gwynn Aiken Bowers, Bert's wife, a colleague of ours at Syntex, and a very dear friend of mine.

00:04:23 Gwynn, please come up.

00:04:27 Thank you, Paul.

00:04:35 Would some of you like to come and sit? Really, there's a lot of room up here, so come forward if you can.

00:04:41 I also would like to thank each and every one of you for being here to join in this special tribute to my husband and my colleague.

00:04:52 I also want to express my appreciation for the cards, the letters, the calls, the thoughts, and the prayers of those who couldn't be here today.

00:05:03 Since Albert's death two months ago today, a number of publications have included information about his life and his accomplishments.

00:05:14 This afternoon, I'd like to review parts of just one such article, but I'll also take the liberty of adding a few personal footnotes of my own.

00:05:24 The article briefly covered the first two decades of Albert's life with one sentence.

00:05:30 It just described him as a native of Manchester, England, but it might have mentioned at least one of Albert's most vivid childhood memories.

00:05:39 For example, on one hot summer afternoon in 1940, when he was walking home, something happened.

00:05:48 Suddenly, out of nowhere, a lone German aircraft appeared overhead and began to open machine gun fire on the road below.

00:05:58 Albert narrowly escaped the bullets by diving into a roadside ditch.

00:06:04 That nearly fatal incident so long ago made him realize much sooner than most people do that life will not go on forever.

00:06:14 On the other hand, he told me that that summer day also convinced him that Winston Churchill was right when he said, and I quote,

00:06:24 nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.

00:06:32 Now, Albert carried that same exhilaration into much of what he did, especially into his presentations about Syntex.

00:06:43 For example, he really looked forward to his encounters with certain security analysts.

00:06:50 Before each of those meetings, he made careful, almost ritualistic preparations.

00:06:56 Once, when he was making a final adjustment to his tie and his suit and his shirt before leaving for an analyst meeting,

00:07:04 he told me that getting ready for those sessions made him feel like a matador who was about to fight for a noble cause.

00:07:13 Perhaps also, once again, he was looking for Churchill's exhilaration of being shot at without result.

00:07:21 The article went on to describe Albert's degrees and where he received them, but it failed to emphasize how very highly he valued education and science.

00:07:33 That would have helped others to understand why he enjoyed so much his associations with the University of California,

00:07:40 with Stanford, Rockefeller University, and other academic institutions.

00:07:45 The reporter's story included the Business Higher Education Forum in a list of the many organizations where Albert represented Syntex.

00:07:55 As a footnote, the forum is a unique organization comprised of 50 CEOs and 50 university presidents,

00:08:03 and Albert was particularly instrumental in shaping the forum's agenda on international competitiveness.

00:08:10 I expect that interest of his came from his own competitive nature, which he frequently demonstrated, as many of you know.

00:08:19 It didn't matter whether he was, as he called it, exercising the Ferrari, playing tennis, winning at 21, or whether he was just cheering for the 49ers.

00:08:31 In all competitions, Albert liked to be first, and in other areas he dared to be first.

00:08:39 For instance, his scientific leadership of the California Business Roundtable's Toxics Task Force

00:08:46 made a difference in the way in which Proposition 65 is now being implemented.

00:08:53 Through his considerable personal persuasiveness, he helped minimize its negative effect and impact on California business,

00:09:01 and he did it without compromising his concerns for our environment.

00:09:06 In the Roundtable, and in our industry as well, Albert was way out front in the battle against AIDS.

00:09:13 He encouraged Syntex and others to adopt enlightened policies about HIV disease,

00:09:19 and he emphasized the importance of education about the epidemic.

00:09:25 The reporter went on to chronicle Albert's rise within Syntex,

00:09:29 and I'll rely on others that are here today to speak about the various aspects of Albert's 34 years at Syntex.

00:09:37 But it's not likely that they'll mention two of his earlier jobs.

00:09:41 Albert was once a mail carrier, and for a short time, while he did have some marketing experience,

00:09:47 he sold handmade ladies' bathing suits.

00:09:55 Now, other speakers today may talk about Albert's skill in the laboratory,

00:10:00 but they aren't likely, however, to mention his skills in the kitchen,

00:10:05 especially when he prepared his favorite meal.

00:10:08 Albert called it a dietician's nightmare. He called it an English breakfast.

00:10:13 Can you believe? Fried eggs, fried sausage, fried bacon, fried tomatoes, fried bread, and tea.

00:10:20 But it tasted very good.

00:10:23 The publication noted that Albert was a member of the board of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association for 17 years,

00:10:30 and that he served as its chairman in the early 1980s.

00:10:34 Now, anyone can be a pilot on a calm sea, but when Albert was chairman of the PMA,

00:10:40 the climate for our industry was anything but calm.

00:10:44 It was as turbulent then as it has become again in recent months.

00:10:49 Nevertheless, he made many, many important contributions, and I'll mention just a few.

00:10:55 Albert insisted on objective self-analysis of issues that were important to our industry.

00:11:01 He recognized the importance way back then of health care cost containment trends

00:11:06 and encouraged cost-effectiveness studies,

00:11:09 and he guided the board's participation in the IMD-NDA rewrite.

00:11:14 Albert initiated the practice of the chairman having his own staff support,

00:11:19 a practice followed by every subsequent PMA chairman,

00:11:22 and he helped keep the industry united during the early days of the political storms

00:11:28 that swirled around patent term restoration legislation.

00:11:33 There's one more footnote I'd like to include.

00:11:36 About 20 years ago, Albert was enrolled in an executive leadership program.

00:11:42 One of the assignments was designed to help the participants focus their goals.

00:11:47 They were asked to imagine that they only had 10 years to live and to write their own obituary.

00:11:53 I'll share with you just one line of what he wrote more than 20 years ago.

00:11:58 It said, and I quote,

00:12:00 Dr. Albert Bowers ably represented the billion-dollar company Syntex

00:12:06 during his chairmanship of the PMA board, end quote.

00:12:11 I'll conclude by following his example and use his classic British understatement.

00:12:18 I believe Albert did indeed

00:12:21 ably lead and represent the company he loved so well.

00:12:26 Thank you all for helping me make that dream come true.

00:12:30 Thank you, Gwynn.

00:12:43 It's terrible to wait 25 years to find out that Bert sold bathing suits.

00:12:47 I really would have cut loose with a couple of good stories at the meeting.

00:12:53 Our next speaker is truly a living legend in this company.

00:12:59 I'd like to introduce to all of you who don't know him, Dr. George Rosenkranz.

00:13:09 My dear Gwynn,

00:13:13 Karen, Debbie,

00:13:16 Margaret, Gary, Paul,

00:13:19 and Bert's many friends and colleagues here today.

00:13:23 I'm honored to be able to join you in this tribute to Bert.

00:13:28 At various times in Bert's life and in mine,

00:13:33 he was the newest chemist in our laboratory in Mexico,

00:13:38 my assistant,

00:13:40 the man I entrusted with building up Syntex's international business,

00:13:45 my successor, his chief executive,

00:13:48 and chairman of the board of directors at Syntex.

00:13:52 He was also my respective colleague, my confidant,

00:13:57 my co-conspirator in a number of adventures and misadventures,

00:14:02 and through it all, one of my best friends.

00:14:06 As the Old Testament or the Bible says,

00:14:12 to everything there is a season,

00:14:15 and a time to every purpose under the heaven,

00:14:18 a time to be born and a time to die,

00:14:23 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

00:14:27 a time to mourn and a time to rejoice.

00:14:31 Today is not a time to weep.

00:14:35 We have wept in private and together over the past two months,

00:14:41 and we will continue to be saddened by Bert's departure for many, many years.

00:14:47 Today, however, is a time to rejoice,

00:14:51 to rejoice at our good fortune in having known, worked with, and loved Bert Bowers,

00:14:59 and having been his family, his friends, and his co-workers.

00:15:05 In that rejoicing, I want to share with you some short, simple,

00:15:10 and maybe humorous stories about Bert in his earliest days at Syntex.

00:15:16 These are not stories of the ways in which he discovered a new compound,

00:15:20 or a new process, or bought a business,

00:15:24 or helped Syntex achieve its first billion dollars in sales.

00:15:28 Others will tell you these stories.

00:15:31 I want to share instead the stories of a very fine man

00:15:35 and his wonderful way of dealing with people,

00:15:39 his problems, small and large,

00:15:43 and with the challenges of being a Britisher,

00:15:46 working first in Mexico and then in the United States,

00:15:50 helping to lead a Panamanian company to greatness.

00:15:56 A quirk of fate brought Bert to Syntex in 1956.

00:16:01 After he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Wayne State University,

00:16:06 where he worked as Carl Gerasi,

00:16:09 he returned to the United Kingdom and decided to apply for jobs with Merck and Upjohn.

00:16:16 He gave Carl's name as a reference.

00:16:19 However, Carl wasn't working with Syntex as a consultant,

00:16:22 and when Merck and Upjohn called up to check on Bert's credentials,

00:16:26 Carl called Bert and said,

00:16:28 well, why don't you go to work with Syntex?

00:16:31 Bert claimed never to have heard of Syntex at that point,

00:16:36 but as a scientist, he began to review the scientific literature

00:16:42 and was interested enough, what we had,

00:16:47 and what he read, to come to Mexico for a look at Syntex in 1956.

00:16:54 He never left.

00:16:57 When he first arrived, he was easily identified at first sight as an Englishman.

00:17:04 Into our midst in colorful Mexico came a young, blond-haired man

00:17:10 who almost always wore a drab, olive green sweater with a high neck

00:17:16 and trousers of the same color.

00:17:19 His pants were short enough for us to be able to see his white socks.

00:17:27 His clothing style and his light hair did not leave any doubt,

00:17:31 for sometime he was known in Mexico as the Inglesito,

00:17:37 the young Englishman.

00:17:40 One British characteristic that Bert took with him wherever he went

00:17:44 was his unfailing politeness.

00:17:47 A small story, a favorite of one of his chemists, Ernesto Deno,

00:17:53 who now is working for the Mexican government, illustrates.

00:17:57 One day in the laboratory in Mexico, some oil spilled from an oil burner

00:18:02 and it began a small fire.

00:18:05 Bert ran from the lab bench to get the fire extinguisher.

00:18:08 And as he ran past Bert, he yelled,

00:18:11 Doctor! Doctor! An accident in the hood!

00:18:15 Bert looked up from where he was working at his desk,

00:18:18 saw the fire in the hood, and got up.

00:18:21 But only after first saying to Deno,

00:18:24 Would you please excuse me?

00:18:27 Bert took a big leap toward the hood

00:18:31 and this one big breath blew the fire out.

00:18:38 Then Bert promptly returned to his desk,

00:18:41 where the bewildered Deno still stood

00:18:44 with the unused fire extinguisher in his hand.

00:18:48 He was always very calm and cool,

00:18:51 another element of his Anglo-Saxon heritage,

00:18:54 which contrasted with the Latin American temperaments

00:18:58 of many of his employees in those early days.

00:19:02 Maria Blanca, one of Bert's assistants,

00:19:05 remembers working with a chemical reaction

00:19:08 which was being stirred electrically.

00:19:11 She got too close to the slender agitator

00:19:14 while trying to check the temperature of the chemical reaction,

00:19:18 and her long hair became entangled in the stirring rod.

00:19:23 Her co-workers ran to flip off the switch to disconnect the motor,

00:19:26 but it was too late.

00:19:28 Her hair was still entangled,

00:19:30 and she was so close to the rod that she couldn't move.

00:19:33 She didn't want to let her co-workers cut off her hair

00:19:37 because she was going to get married that weekend.

00:19:41 So the others tried very hard to think of what to do.

00:19:45 Bert appeared on the scene with scissors in their hand.

00:19:49 He softly said, I'm sorry,

00:19:52 and then with a grave expression on his face,

00:19:55 he cut her hair off

00:19:57 and returned quietly to his desk in a corner of the lab.

00:20:01 There are, of course, many, many, many wonderful anecdotes

00:20:04 I could share with you,

00:20:06 and I know that each of you have your own favorite stories

00:20:09 that illustrate the fine qualities

00:20:12 that Bert brought into our lives over the years.

00:20:15 There is not time to remember them all today,

00:20:18 but they will live on in our hearts and in our memories.

00:20:23 The ups and downs, the threatening crises,

00:20:26 the victories and defeats, the joys and sorrows,

00:20:30 the interminable brainstorming sessions,

00:20:33 all became forces that linked us together in friendship

00:20:37 and forged a bond of mutual understanding

00:20:40 and affinity among us all.

00:20:44 I would like to conclude by reading to you

00:20:47 a short excerpt from a letter I wrote Bert last year

00:20:51 on the occasion of his 33rd anniversary of his Syntex.

00:20:55 I don't think he'd mind if I tell you now

00:20:57 what I told him there.

00:20:59 I don't.

00:21:01 When I left the command to you,

00:21:04 it was with great tranquility and satisfaction,

00:21:08 knowing that those things which were dear to my heart

00:21:12 were left in the best possible hands.

00:21:15 Your achievements speak for themselves.

00:21:19 The continued incredible growth and expansion of Syntex

00:21:23 under your guidance can hardly be matched.

00:21:27 And yet achieving this,

00:21:30 without giving up our basic principles

00:21:33 and maintaining the human approach,

00:21:36 the warm feeling of a family in our universe

00:21:39 were the most gratifying events

00:21:42 I experienced in the last few years.

00:21:46 So let these lines echo my feelings toward you.

00:21:50 They are, as you well know, of respect, admiration, friendship,

00:21:56 and why not say it, love.

00:22:00 We all love Bert, each in our way.

00:22:04 And that love and respect is what brings us together today

00:22:08 in celebration of his life.

00:22:12 As an old German proverb,

00:22:16 my favorite, puts it,

00:22:19 Aus endorhnendes Augenblick wachsen die Rosen,

00:22:22 der Erinnerung vor.

00:22:24 Freely translated,

00:22:26 From the thorns of the moment

00:22:29 grow the roses of remembrance.

00:22:32 There have been thorns along the way,

00:22:35 but in remembering Bert

00:22:38 and how our lives have been indelibly touched by him,

00:22:42 I believe we are planting a rose garden

00:22:46 of wonderful memories

00:22:49 that will live on in sweet fragrance

00:22:52 and brilliant color forever.

00:22:55 It is now my privilege to carry on a tradition

00:22:59 that commemorates services on the Board of Directors at Syntex.

00:23:04 Unfortunately, we were not able to present to Bert

00:23:08 before his departure a beautiful silver tray

00:23:11 in recognition of Bert's many years of service on the Board.

00:23:16 But if you will step forward, Gwynn,

00:23:20 I would like you to accept this and treasure it,

00:23:24 as I know Bert would have.

00:23:27 The inscription reads,

00:23:30 The Board of Directors of Syntex Corporation

00:23:33 expresses its appreciation for the extraordinary contributions

00:23:37 made by Dr. Albert Barros,

00:23:40 Chairman, September 24, 1981,

00:23:44 July 31, 1990.

00:23:47 Your leadership, intelligence,

00:23:50 kindness, and courage

00:23:53 will be missed.

00:24:00 Thank you.

00:24:24 Thank you, George, and thank you to the Board.

00:24:27 It will indeed be cherished forever. Thank you.

00:24:35 When Syntex became a public company in 1956,

00:24:40 a Board of Directors was formed.

00:24:43 Two of the original Board members,

00:24:46 we call them founding Board members,

00:24:49 are still on our current active Board of Directors

00:24:52 and are as active today as they were

00:24:55 some, how many years is that, 34 years.

00:24:58 That's a long time.

00:25:00 And in today's world, where loyalty seems

00:25:03 like such an illusory property,

00:25:06 to have people that could stand behind a company,

00:25:09 support its management,

00:25:12 and literally love people like Bert Bowers

00:25:15 and support them through moments of need

00:25:18 is something that we should all recognize.

00:25:20 Both of these individuals are here with us today

00:25:22 and want to speak to you.

00:25:24 I'd like to introduce Judge Howard Holtzman,

00:25:27 senior partner at Holtzman, Weiss & Shepard,

00:25:30 the co-general counsel of Syntex Corporation,

00:25:34 and a dear friend. Howard?

00:25:42 You know, when I received Paul's invitation to speak,

00:25:47 I recalled a phrase that I often see

00:25:50 when I'm in London in English newspapers

00:25:53 in the obituary columns,

00:25:56 announcing what Americans would call

00:25:59 a memorial service,

00:26:02 but the British speak of it as a service of thanksgiving

00:26:06 for the life of the person who has recently passed away.

00:26:11 And as I see it, that is exactly

00:26:14 what we're doing this afternoon.

00:26:17 This is a service of thanksgiving

00:26:20 for the life of Albert Bowers.

00:26:23 The day before Bert died,

00:26:26 the members of the board all wrote him a card,

00:26:30 and we wrote little things on that card.

00:26:34 I'm not sure whether Bert ever got that card

00:26:38 or was well enough to read it,

00:26:41 but somehow or other, those of you who know me

00:26:44 will know that before I wrote on the card,

00:26:47 I wrote it on a little slip of paper,

00:26:49 and after I got home, after Bert had passed away,

00:26:52 I discovered that I had that little piece of paper.

00:26:56 So I would like to read to you what I wrote to Bert.

00:27:00 Dear Bert,

00:27:02 What wonderful years these have been.

00:27:06 Years in which you so gracefully made the transition

00:27:10 from George Rosencrantz's leadership to your own.

00:27:15 Years in which you assured the continuing excellence

00:27:19 of Syntex Research.

00:27:22 Years in which you dreamed the billion-dollar sales goal

00:27:27 and achieved it.

00:27:29 Years that began with Syntex too small

00:27:34 to be admitted as a member

00:27:36 of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association,

00:27:38 and let me say as an aside,

00:27:40 I was there the day we got the letter

00:27:42 saying we won't let you in.

00:27:45 Years that began with that

00:27:47 and that ended with Bert as president of the PMA.

00:27:53 But above all, as I wrote to Bert then,

00:27:58 years in which friendship grew and love flourished.

00:28:05 Paul has asked me to be brief,

00:28:07 as there are many who want to speak,

00:28:10 and so I'll try to tell you

00:28:12 of my first recollections of Bert in America

00:28:16 and about our last conversation.

00:28:20 When I think about Bert's early days in the United States,

00:28:24 I think of a crowded laboratory

00:28:27 at Wayne State University in Detroit,

00:28:30 where Bert was a Fulbright fellow.

00:28:34 He was one of a very small group of scientists

00:28:37 who were pioneering on the outer frontiers

00:28:40 of steroid chemistry.

00:28:42 I once visited that lab.

00:28:45 The atmosphere of enthusiasm and of intelligence

00:28:48 was absolutely overwhelming.

00:28:51 The young chemists were crowded together

00:28:53 in an inadequate space.

00:28:56 They were totally dedicated.

00:28:58 They looked as if they never went home.

00:29:01 There were coffee cups in the lab sinks.

00:29:03 There were half-eaten sandwiches on the lab benches,

00:29:06 and as I recall the day I was there,

00:29:08 somebody had washed his socks and put it up

00:29:10 on one of those things that they have in labs

00:29:13 for drying glassware.

00:29:15 I'm sure that when Bert was there,

00:29:17 he never did that.

00:29:19 He was much too much of an English gentleman

00:29:21 to ever hang out his socks in public.

00:29:24 But that was the sort of a place it was.

00:29:27 It was not an elegant place,

00:29:30 but Bert was doing elegant chemistry.

00:29:34 And for those of us who are not chemists,

00:29:37 I would remind you that elegant is a word

00:29:40 that chemists use when they're speaking

00:29:42 about superb results.

00:29:46 Our last conversation was by telephone

00:29:50 shortly before Bert died.

00:29:52 I was in Holland.

00:29:54 We were 6,000 miles apart,

00:29:57 but I think never closer in spirit.

00:30:00 Bert was realistic, but not despairing.

00:30:05 He knew what was ahead,

00:30:07 and yet he was completely courageous.

00:30:10 He was graceful in his concern,

00:30:14 lest I be worried about him or about Syntex.

00:30:19 Again, as at Wayne State,

00:30:22 Bert was in a very unelegant situation,

00:30:26 and he was behaving very elegantly.

00:30:30 In between our first meeting in 1956

00:30:35 and that last telephone conversation,

00:30:38 there were many times together.

00:30:41 I can perhaps describe them and describe Bert

00:30:45 best by borrowing some words

00:30:48 of a philosopher, Erwin Edmund,

00:30:51 who said that the true societies of the mind

00:30:55 and those that are remembered best

00:30:58 emerge in conversations between friends

00:31:02 that become an exchange of ideas

00:31:06 clearly perceived and emotions deeply felt,

00:31:11 giving and catching mutual fire.

00:31:16 That's how it was, being with Bert,

00:31:19 sharing ideas clearly perceived

00:31:24 and emotions deeply felt,

00:31:27 giving and catching mutual fire.

00:31:32 In closing, let me remind Gwynn, Bert's daughters,

00:31:38 and all of Bert's friends here

00:31:41 of what another philosopher once wrote.

00:31:45 Without fullness of experience,

00:31:48 length of days is nothing.

00:31:52 When fullness of life has been achieved,

00:31:55 as Bert indeed achieved it,

00:31:58 shortness of days is nothing.

00:32:01 This experience of fulfillment through wholeness

00:32:06 is the answer to the brevity of men's days.

00:32:12 And so I end as I began,

00:32:16 expressing thanksgiving for the life of Albert Bowers,

00:32:21 who was an inspiring example

00:32:24 of fulfillment through wholeness.

00:32:28 God bless Bert. God bless us all.

00:32:36 Our next speaker is also a founding member

00:32:40 of our Board of Directors

00:32:42 and a dear friend of Bert's,

00:32:44 a man who is the Chairman of the Finance Committee

00:32:47 of the Board of Directors.

00:32:48 So for those of you who have had capital requests

00:32:51 over the past 34 years,

00:32:53 this is the ultimate signature.

00:32:56 But a great guy.

00:32:57 I'd like to introduce Mark Cardin.

00:33:01 No one can ever say we did not have a strong leader

00:33:04 for the last two years.

00:33:07 In early 1989, Bert told the Board in some detail

00:33:12 what was bothering him and the time he had left.

00:33:16 He had conveyed this to us

00:33:19 in his usual calm, measured way,

00:33:22 which made the message even more shattering.

00:33:26 There were attempts by the more verbal members

00:33:29 to convey sympathy, comfort, admiration,

00:33:33 but Bert quietly cut through these remarks

00:33:35 with a request that there be a agreed-upon agenda

00:33:38 to ensure a smooth transition.

00:33:43 Bert was a leader even in this gloomy affair.

00:33:49 His forthrightness made a task

00:33:52 which could easily become awkward and difficult

00:33:56 flow smoothly.

00:33:58 And as in most of Bert's professional life,

00:34:02 he had thought it all through first.

00:34:05 Bert had two loves.

00:34:08 One was his family, his wife and children.

00:34:12 The second was Syntex.

00:34:15 I'm not sure which was really first or second,

00:34:18 but I never heard anyone at Syntex complain.

00:34:23 He also had a great zest for living.

00:34:26 He loved to drive fast cars.

00:34:29 This was one thing we had in common.

00:34:32 He even took lessons on tricky auto maneuvers,

00:34:36 180-degree sliding turns, evasive driving, and so forth.

00:34:42 A couple of summers ago, he was at Sun Valley

00:34:46 at an annual Allen & Company outing.

00:34:49 A number of activities were available.

00:34:54 He and Gwynne chose mountain trail horseback riding.

00:34:59 I asked Bert if he had ever done very much.

00:35:01 He said never.

00:35:02 In fact, he hadn't ridden very much at all.

00:35:05 He was particularly plucky

00:35:07 since he was already starting to feel that illness

00:35:12 that was eventually to take his life.

00:35:16 The Monday afternoon before the board meeting this last July,

00:35:20 I called Gwynne at home

00:35:22 to see if she could duck out of the house for a quick bite,

00:35:26 some respite from the pressures.

00:35:29 She declined but graciously invited me

00:35:32 to take potluck at the house

00:35:35 but cautioned me that Bert would probably be reluctant to see anybody.

00:35:40 After a while, Bert, on awakening from one of his intermittent sleeps,

00:35:46 learned I was there and asked me to come in.

00:35:50 He spoke very softly.

00:35:52 I had to lean close to hear.

00:35:55 He asked how things were going.

00:35:58 I tried to encapsulate the events of the past two weeks.

00:36:03 He drifted off.

00:36:04 Then after a while he opened his eyes and asked,

00:36:07 what do you think of a stock split at this time?

00:36:12 I mentally shook my head

00:36:14 and I suddenly saw myself in his office

00:36:18 talking across his desk

00:36:21 and I gave him a firm, noncommittal office-type answer,

00:36:25 thinking and asking myself as I did so,

00:36:29 shouldn't I be more comforting or just agree with him?

00:36:32 I looked at his face.

00:36:35 He half smiled in that way he had and nodded.

00:36:39 It was apparently the answer he expected.

00:36:43 Whatever was wrong with Bert's poor body

00:36:45 surely didn't affect his head.

00:36:47 applause

00:36:53 Marvin referred to the courage of Bert.

00:36:56 In the last year, Bert showed that courage to me so many times

00:37:01 he dragged himself literally to come into the office to work,

00:37:07 to be of some help and support to myself

00:37:10 and to his other colleagues at Synthex.

00:37:12 The man never once complained,

00:37:14 which is the most remarkable thing in the world

00:37:17 because he saw the end with crystal clarity

00:37:20 and yet he was able to function.

00:37:23 The mind was functioning.

00:37:25 During that period of time,

00:37:27 he got so much help and aid from our next speaker,

00:37:31 a person who knew him from a totally different standpoint

00:37:35 and somebody I thought you'd want to hear from.

00:37:38 It's his administrative assistant, Janice Higgins-Nelson.

00:37:42 applause

00:37:49 Thank you, Mr. Freeman.

00:37:51 Each time I enter the Administration I building

00:37:54 and see Dr. Bower's photograph

00:37:56 on the cover of the July-August 1990 issue of Synthex World,

00:38:02 I find myself smiling at his photograph

00:38:05 for I feel his presence so strongly at Synthex

00:38:08 and I cherish the memories of him.

00:38:11 I had the privilege and pleasure

00:38:13 of being Dr. Bower's executive assistant for nearly four years.

00:38:18 I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity

00:38:21 to learn firsthand what a tremendous leader

00:38:25 and gentleman he was.

00:38:28 Thoughts that come to mind when trying to describe Dr. Bower

00:38:32 are that he was absolutely dedicated to Synthex

00:38:36 and its employees.

00:38:38 He truly cared about all of us.

00:38:41 He was a man with tremendous sense of integrity and dignity

00:38:45 and he had very high standards, worked extremely long hours,

00:38:49 and yet made time on his calendar to meet with any employee

00:38:53 who needed counsel or guidance.

00:38:56 He was a gentle but strong supervisor.

00:38:59 I always found him very focused and well organized.

00:39:03 His energy level seemed limitless and his schedule hectic.

00:39:09 However, I quickly became aware that he relished

00:39:12 that tremendous level of challenge and activity.

00:39:16 He also had a wonderful sense of humor and a beautiful smile.

00:39:20 As I look back over these past years,

00:39:23 I feel I'm deeply blessed to have worked for Dr. Bower.

00:39:27 He touched my life and made it better.

00:39:29 Thank you.

00:39:31 applause

00:39:35 That certainly came from the heart, Janice. Thank you.

00:39:38 Our next speaker is the president of Synthex Laboratory, Tom Hoffmeister.

00:39:44 applause

00:39:47 Thank you, Paul.

00:39:49 Bert was an individual whose life touched us all.

00:39:53 For some, it was his genius and his innovation in the sciences.

00:39:59 For others, it was his command of the business situation

00:40:03 and his leadership in bringing Synthex to a place

00:40:06 of special significance in our industry.

00:40:09 However, for nearly all of us,

00:40:12 it was Bert's humanistic, personal management style

00:40:17 as expressed in managing at Synthex and our Synthex values,

00:40:21 which is the legacy we all know, embrace, and benefit from daily.

00:40:28 Bert's love of Synthex, his respect for the dignity of the individual,

00:40:34 and his devotion to the highest principles in his daily relationships

00:40:39 are not only the cornerstone on which Synthex rests,

00:40:43 but are the very qualities which are synonymous with Bert the man.

00:40:48 Bert's business and scientific accomplishments are many and well known,

00:40:53 but that's not what I want to focus on with you today.

00:40:58 If I may, I'd like to share some of my personal observations of Bert the man,

00:41:04 some small insights which might cause you to know Bert

00:41:08 and his humanness just a little better.

00:41:12 As you know, Bert was a private man,

00:41:14 and not everyone had opportunities to see that special warmth and charm

00:41:19 he so often displayed in a non-business setting.

00:41:23 One vivid recollection which comes readily to mind

00:41:27 is a Christmas dinner Pam and I shared with Bert and Gwynn at their home.

00:41:32 Bert, in his red vest, seemed to be everywhere

00:41:36 trying to make his guests comfortable and happy.

00:41:40 Bert took personal delight in keeping the wine glasses filled at dinner,

00:41:45 even though his meal probably got cold.

00:41:49 He must have jumped up and down a dozen times

00:41:52 to clear dishes, fill water glasses, and assure our enjoyment of the meal.

00:41:58 And you could tell he loved waiting on his guests

00:42:01 and delighted in their enjoyment.

00:42:05 During dinner, I commented to Bert how I liked the skinless tomatoes in the salad.

00:42:11 And Bert looked so proud, and he commented,

00:42:14 that he had personally taken the skins off himself

00:42:18 by this wonderful new technique that Gwynn had taught him

00:42:21 of dunking them into boiling water first.

00:42:26 And you know, to this day, whenever Pam uses that same technique

00:42:31 to take the skin off our tomatoes, she thinks of Bert in that comment

00:42:35 and how human that comment was.

00:42:38 Bert also, at that Christmas party, introduced to his American guests

00:42:44 what he called Christmas crackers.

00:42:47 And of course, being American, I thought they were some sort of a biscuit.

00:42:51 But I soon learned that what Bert was sharing

00:42:54 was one of his childhood traditions.

00:42:57 And they were a small paper toy, which when you pulled them,

00:43:01 they made a popping, cracking sound, and they would yield a small toy.

00:43:07 And when we did this, Bert had just a big grin from ear to ear

00:43:11 as each guest shared with the other guests what their toy was.

00:43:16 And I can't help but recall how Bert had allowed the little boy in him

00:43:21 to come out at that special occasion.

00:43:25 I mentioned that Bert was a private man in the business setting,

00:43:29 and it could be hard for new acquaintances to really know the real Bert.

00:43:34 In fact, my wife Pam had this problem when she first met Bert

00:43:38 at the business and social engagements.

00:43:41 And she tried discussing business, politics,

00:43:44 and she even tried to discuss how lab sales were going,

00:43:47 but she never seemed to really loosen Bert up.

00:43:51 He seemed a bit English-reserved, a bit aloof.

00:43:55 Then one evening in San Francisco at a black-tie dinner dance

00:44:00 where we were sharing together,

00:44:02 I noticed that Pam and Bert were talking and laughing across the table from me,

00:44:07 and this seemed to go on all evening.

00:44:10 I asked Pam when we got home,

00:44:12 what were they talking about that seemed to make Bert appear so relaxed

00:44:16 and the two of them so happy and comfortable?

00:44:19 And she discovered that all she had to do was to talk about down-home stuff

00:44:24 like pasta, one of Bert's favorite dishes,

00:44:27 or to tease him about how much food he could really pack away for such a thin man,

00:44:32 to see a side of Bert that showed warmth and charm.

00:44:37 Pam loved to tease Bert about his food, his daughters,

00:44:41 and even what a good husband he must be to provoke such happiness in Gwynn,

00:44:46 always producing a warm smile from Bert and a loving hug.

00:44:50 Gwynn, you must know that all these warm, caring, and most human traits

00:44:57 really blossomed to their fullest when Bert was around you.

00:45:03 You could just see and feel this happening the more you two were together.

00:45:08 You were the real catalyst for this opening up,

00:45:11 and your gift to us was the chance to see the other human side of Bert,

00:45:17 and for that we're really thankful.

00:45:20 Pam and I, all the people in labs, and all of us will surely miss Bert,

00:45:26 but we are also so thankful that we had the chance to know him,

00:45:31 to work with him, and to play with him.

00:45:34 Thank you.

00:45:37 I'd like to present Dr. Jorge Medina, the Director General of Syntex SA in Mexico.

00:45:44 Jorge.

00:45:48 Good afternoon.

00:45:50 Thank you, Paul.

00:45:52 Thank you for inviting me to have this great opportunity to be with all of you.

00:46:00 This is a very, very special day for all of us, and especially for me.

00:46:07 When I came here and started seeing so many friends, I said,

00:46:14 we are Syntex.

00:46:17 That's a great family.

00:46:20 Then, thank you again for this opportunity because I'd like to share some memories.

00:46:28 Anecdotes that I have with Bert.

00:46:33 Bert and myself, I don't know if you know, but we started working at Syntex

00:46:39 in the same year, 1956.

00:46:44 Then, at that time, I was on a very important mission

00:46:50 to make milking points, 200 different compounds every week.

00:46:55 Then, I had the chance to see Bert working.

00:47:00 As Dr. Rosenkrantz mentioned, we called him the inglesito.

00:47:05 That means the little English.

00:47:08 Then, I was watching him once in a while.

00:47:12 I said, he was very punctual, something that is not very popular in Mexico.

00:47:19 Then, he was doing the synthesis of Sinaloa at that time.

00:47:26 Then, believe it or not, he was carrying his own tank,

00:47:33 a fluid tank, in order to synthesize the Sinaloa.

00:47:38 Then, he was a very hard worker.

00:47:41 He was working every day, punctual.

00:47:45 They said, well, I need to learn something.

00:47:49 Then, at that time, I was trying to get a fellowship from the United Nations.

00:47:54 They said, well, I have an opportunity to learn good English.

00:47:59 Then, I went with him and said, Bert, do you mind if I come here once in a while

00:48:06 to practice my English?

00:48:08 What English if you don't speak at all?

00:48:11 Well, he said, I would like to start learning something.

00:48:15 I explained to him that I was going to make an application

00:48:18 for the United Nations fellows at that time.

00:48:20 They said, well, okay.

00:48:21 Come here at coffee break, 15 minutes.

00:48:26 Okay.

00:48:27 I did that.

00:48:29 We talked about many things.

00:48:32 I've been doing about six months or eight months.

00:48:37 Then, the last day, I got a fellowship because I didn't learn very good English,

00:48:47 but I learned something.

00:48:49 According to John Monson, Bert lost his time trying to teach me.

00:48:57 The last day, I went to see him and have a little practice.

00:49:03 The last day, I went to see him and have a little practice of English.

00:49:07 He said, Jorge, thank you very much indeed.

00:49:13 My God, that was my last day in Syntex because I didn't know exactly

00:49:17 what was the meaning of indeed.

00:49:29 Anyway, I got the fellowship.

00:49:31 A couple of years later, I saw him again.

00:49:35 He had a lot of responsibilities in Mexico in the research.

00:49:39 Then, time passed.

00:49:43 He was in charge of the SIATSA, Syntex International in Mexico,

00:49:49 and the MANACAR.

00:49:51 He's trying to develop a Syntex international.

00:49:55 Then, four years ago, when I accomplished 30 years in Syntex,

00:50:03 he sent me a letter saying, Jorge, you and me have parallel careers in Syntex,

00:50:14 but he didn't mention that he was the president of the corporation.

00:50:21 He was very kind, really.

00:50:26 Then, I would like to communicate that next week we are going to do something similar here.

00:50:34 We are going to put the plague in that research building where Bert Bowers started.

00:50:41 I would like to share with you what is going to be in the description of that plague

00:50:48 that was wrote by Dr. Jorge Rosenthal.

00:50:52 I said, he showed us by example what is to dream, to succeed, to care, to love,

00:51:03 and to show extreme courage in the face of tremendous adversity.

00:51:09 That is the Syntex that Bert Bowers told us to develop.

00:51:15 I would like to leave this podium saying that we follow that example.

00:51:22 Syntex is growing as it is today.

00:51:25 If we work with respect and if we work together, Syntex will continue growing.

00:51:33 Thank you very much.

00:51:35 I would like to ask John Zetterich to come here, please.

00:51:46 I am going to restrict my remarks really to those early years.

00:51:51 I will start by telling you that Bert and I first worked together in Detroit

00:51:55 where we were postdoctoral fellows in Carl Gerasi's laboratory.

00:51:59 The year was 1955.

00:52:03 My memories of Bert from that point in time are those of a young, thin,

00:52:07 ebullient Englishman who was extremely gregarious

00:52:11 and took part in every social activity that came along.

00:52:15 In our Detroit days, we developed a very close friendship and saw a lot of each other.

00:52:20 The Bowers apartment in Detroit was a small, rickety, dingy walk-up

00:52:27 equipped with only a wall bed and a wheezing refrigerator

00:52:31 that had trouble keeping things even at room temperature.

00:52:35 To say that the apartment was Spartan would be an understatement.

00:52:39 But it did have the advantage of being close to the building where we all put in long hours.

00:52:45 The scientific atmosphere there was constantly bubbling

00:52:49 and I know that Bert was appreciative for his years in Detroit.

00:52:53 After Bert's return to England, it was probably not more than six or nine months

00:52:58 before both of us were approached by Carl and eventually by George

00:53:02 to go to work for Syntex in Mexico.

00:53:06 This was a totally unexpected turn of events

00:53:09 and obviously it was a very exciting time for both of us.

00:53:13 After all, Mexico was a seemingly far-off, exotic place.

00:53:19 At that time, it was already a city of over four million people

00:53:23 and had only four intersections that were controlled by traffic signals.

00:53:28 I remember distinctly Bert's view that he was going to stay in Mexico only for a year or two.

00:53:35 You know, just enough to do something interesting, have some fun, and save a lot.

00:53:42 After all, everything was supposed to be very inexpensive in Mexico.

00:53:47 That, of course, was not completely true as we soon found out.

00:53:52 If we developed any type of amistad while in Detroit, let me assure you

00:53:57 it became even closer when we both arrived in Mexico City

00:54:01 without much else than a few pots and pans and a lot of spirit.

00:54:06 Soon, many interesting scientific developments were going on in the laboratory.

00:54:12 The scientific atmosphere bubbled in Detroit and Mexico City had boiled furiously.

00:54:19 At that time, we spent a lot of our weekends and evenings together

00:54:23 and delighted in watching our children grow.

00:54:26 As you would guess, Bert was very proud and protective of his family.

00:54:32 Initially, there was a lot of bridge play, but that interest never matured in a serious way.

00:54:39 I can only guess that Bert recognized early on that in that field

00:54:44 you might never be able to complete with the real master of the game who spoke to you earlier

00:54:50 and therefore rapidly developed other interests.

00:54:55 On another memorable evening, Bert and five other he-men, including myself,

00:55:00 dressed ourselves in home-sewn white ballerina dresses

00:55:05 and went with our wives dressed as our male counterparts to a large benefit masquerade ball

00:55:12 where we hammed our way through the Swan Lake Ballet.

00:55:17 Our group that evening won the first prize.

00:55:20 Of course, how could it have been otherwise when you consider that we were being led by Bert,

00:55:26 that primo ballerino in drag?

00:55:32 A few of us here this afternoon will also remember that there was a rather exciting night in Tanampa,

00:55:39 but that's another story, and we don't have time for it now.

00:55:44 The years have moved on since then, but memories such as these never, never fade away.

00:55:52 As Paul noted when he invited us to speak today,

00:55:56 he wanted this not to be a somber occasion but rather a celebration of Bert's life.

00:56:02 As you've heard, indeed, above and beyond the scientific achievements in Bert's life,

00:56:07 there was and there still is a lot to celebrate.

00:56:10 Thank you. Thank you, Paul. Thank you.

00:56:16 Thank you, John.

00:56:18 We'd like to leave a memory that's a living memory

00:56:22 and one that's useful to the community at large, to the Syntex community,

00:56:27 to the medical community, and to the people of the Bay Area and the wider community.

00:56:32 I think a fitting thing for us to do is to remember Bert's love of research and of chemistry

00:56:38 here on this campus by dedicating the first research building, R1,

00:56:44 that's the building back of the A1, the administrative building, in Bert's name.

00:56:51 From this point forward, we're going to call this building the Albert Bowers Research Building.

00:56:59 I'd like to show you a mock-up of a bronze plaque that will appear in the front of that building.

00:57:06 We wish it was ready now, but we just didn't have time.

00:57:09 I'll give you some feel for what we're going to do.

00:57:12 I'd like to read you the inscription that will appear on there.

00:57:39 It says, In memory of Dr. Albert Bowers, July 16, 1930 to July 26, 1990.

00:57:48 This building is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Albert Bowers,

00:57:54 former chairman of the Syntex Corporation,

00:57:57 Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer,

00:58:00 in grateful appreciation for his dedicated service to improving the quality of life for people worldwide

00:58:07 and in recognition of his special contributions to the development of Syntex for more than 34 years.

00:58:14 There's a quote from Bert at the bottom of that.

00:58:17 It really is the essence of how he felt about research.

00:58:21 He said, Creative, innovative research has been and will continue to be the lifeblood of Syntex.

00:58:29 Signed, Bert Bowers.

00:58:31 Many of you, Bert's friends and colleagues, have asked how you might join in a living memorial for him.

00:58:39 And I'm absolutely delighted to announce that Syntex has established the Dr. Albert Bowers Chair in the School of Medicine

00:58:47 at the University of California in San Francisco, UCSF.

00:58:52 And the chair will be reserved for the presiding chairperson of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

00:59:00 And why UCSF?

00:59:02 I think both Bert and Gwynn have had long-term ties to this institution.

00:59:09 Bert served as one of the founding trustees for the UCSF Foundation,

00:59:14 where Gwynn began her association with UCSF as an academic administrator and faculty member 20 years ago.

00:59:23 And she currently serves on UCSF's Board of Overseers.

00:59:28 Perhaps just as important is that in Bert's last months and last days,

00:59:34 the care and the support that he received medically came from that institution,

00:59:39 and it was given with excellence and with grace and with feeling.

00:59:44 Julie Crevens, who is Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco,

00:59:49 is a board member of Syntex Corporation.

00:59:53 But unfortunately, Julie is in Italy today, and he would love to have been here, but he can't.

01:00:00 But Julie was involved in our discussions about the chair,

01:00:03 and he described Bert, and this is a quote,

01:00:06 as a fine scientist with a profound understanding of and respect for the process of basic research.

01:00:14 This department, the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics,

01:00:18 is acknowledged worldwide in areas that are of interest to many of us here at Syntex,

01:00:23 and particularly of interest to Bert.

01:00:26 The department is one of the key centers from which modern research in molecular and cellular biology originated

01:00:33 and continues to be driven.

01:00:36 It offers pre- and postdoctoral training for careers in research

01:00:41 and teaching in structural biology, molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, neurobiology, and metabolism.

01:00:51 Syntex has committed $500,000 toward the Bowers Chair.

01:00:56 I'd like to ask Dr. Ramsey to join me so that I can give him this check on behalf of Syntex.

01:01:02 We look forward to continuing a long and wonderful relationship with you.

01:01:06 That chair means an awful lot to us, so handle it with care, please.

01:01:11 Thank you, thank you. David, please.

01:01:22 It's a real honor for me to accept this magnificent gift on behalf of the University of California in San Francisco.

01:01:29 We've been reminded today of the multifaceted talents of Dr. Bowers.

01:01:34 Gwyn, as you talked, I just had a thought.

01:01:39 You might not know, but I spent a couple of years in Manchester, too,

01:01:43 because I was sent there in order to escape the bombing during World War II

01:01:48 and was treated and have never grown tired of that cacophony of calories we call an English breakfast.

01:01:56 You left out one thing, and that is that an Englishman,

01:02:01 especially if they've spent some time in Manchester, will always add black pudding to it.

01:02:06 It's known rather unceremoniously in this country as blood sausage, which really doesn't do it justice at all.

01:02:12 Gwyn, I pledge that you can come to breakfast with us one day, and I will add the black pudding to it.

01:02:19 Thank you.

01:02:26 Dr. Bowers, of course, with his multifaceted talents and career, was a superb researcher.

01:02:34 But he didn't stop at the basic findings of research.

01:02:37 He reached out, particularly through this company, to the community in which he lived,

01:02:42 to make available his findings in a way which benefited that whole community.

01:02:48 And I can't think of a more fitting and lasting tribute to the life of this remarkable man

01:02:54 and the establishment of the Albert Bowers Endowed Chair in Biochemistry.

01:02:58 Well, I want you to remember, though, this is your chair, all of you that work at this company.

01:03:04 We hope you take pride in it, and we thank you for the trust which you've given us,

01:03:09 and we will do our best not to betray that trust.

01:03:12 It will be used to support research in the Department of Biochemistry, as you've heard.

01:03:17 We specialize in training young people, because that's where the ideas of the future come from.

01:03:23 Thank you very, very much, board, employees, and we'll certainly look after the chair.

01:03:40 Thank you so very much.

01:03:42 As we conclude, I was going to call it a service.

01:03:46 It really isn't.

01:03:47 As we conclude this Thanksgiving celebration,

01:03:50 I don't think it would be wrong for us just to take one minute

01:03:55 and reflect on the Bert Bowers that we knew.

01:04:09 Thank you.