Edwin Samuel Lennox

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Introduction

Edwin Samuel Lennox was a cellular and molecular immunologist and an expert physicist. He dedicated majority of his life to science. Lennox was born on June 9th, 1920 in Savannah, Georgia. He was born into a family of 5. He had two brothers growing up, Bernie Lennox and John Lennox.. He left Savannah to attend college at the University of Vanderbilt to complete his undergraduate degree and then went on to attend the University of Rochester for graduate school. During his graduate years, he received a letter from a Victor Weisskopf inviting him to work on a project in New Mexico, this project is now known as the Manhattan Project .

He ended up pivoting away from physics when he took a seminar that was taught by Melvin Cohn at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This seminar was about immunoglobulins that help contribute to the immune system in humans. Edwin became very interested in this work and decided to join Cohn's lab to continue this work in cellular and molecular immunology. Later in 1961, Lennox worked at Pasteur Institute in Paris, France alongside Melvin Cohn. While he was working at this Institute he was asked by John Salk to come work at the Salk Institute, which he ended up doing. He was one of the first four fellows that were asked to work at the Salk Institute .

Lennox married Helen Carey Lennox, to whom he was married to for 46 years. During their time together they had five children, Dan Smith, Nena Thomas, Caroline Lennox, and Carla Lennox. He also had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Works and Achievements

After studying at Vanderbilt University under Max Delbruck, Lennox received an undergraduate degree . Being a 'thoughtful' scientist, Lennox was recruited by a professor of his at Rochester, Victor Weisskopf, to help with the Manhattan Project alongside Feynman and Szilard in Los Alamos, New Mexico . In 1944, Edwin was assigned as a civilian to work with Wiesskopf, under Hans Bethe, in the Theoretical Physics Division. The following summer, Lennox traveled to a site near Alamogordo to set up equipment for the testing of the atomic bomb. After watching the first explosion, the Trinity test, Lennox said, "It was one of those life-changing experiences ."

At the close of the war, Lennox earned his PhD in theoretical physics as a student under his prior mentor, Hans Bethe. Edwin then worked as an assistant physics professor at the University of Michigan, with a summer job teaching physics at the University of Illinois. His experience at University of Illinois inspired him to shift his studies to biology, performing phage experiments. Lennox was sponsored for a post-doctoral fellowship from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP).He worked on photo-reactivation of UV-inactivated phages and transduction .

Lennox then further specified his work into immunology following a lecture he observed by immunologist Melvin Cohn at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This seminar was about immunoglobulins that help contribute to the human immune system. Lennox joined Cohn's lab shortly after, and dove into the field of cellular and molecular immunology. His fellowship with the NFIP ended in 1956, and he took up work as a biochemistry instructor, while simultaneously studying biochemistry, genetics, and chemistry. He worked up the ladder to become an associate professor of biochemistry, while still working with Cohn. Cohn and Lennox worked together hosting workshops and mingling with other scientists. In 1960, Lennox again relocated to teach microbiology at NYU .

While working with Cohn and Jacques Monod, Lennox was personally invited to join the Salk institute by Jonas Salk himself. He was among the first to join, and his friend Cohn was right there with him, both being given an 8,000 square foot lab in the North Building .

In 1974, Lennox began work at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) at Cambridge. In 1978, Lennox and his student, Steven Sacks, found upon their second attempt, a successful anti-A mAb reagent used in blood typing . This launched a partnership between biotechnology Celltech and MRC . In 1983, Lennox was hired as a project manager for Celltech, and soon became the director of research . Throughout his career, Lennox was affiliated with many research papers .

Teaching Experience

After Lennox finished his Ph.D. in theoretical physics in 1948, he moved to Ann Arbor to become an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. In the summers of 1951 and 1952 he would also teach courses at the University of Illinois. At this point, his focus shifted from physics to immunology and research became a priority . In 1960, he went on to work with Melvin Cohn at Washington University as an associate professor of microbiology. The two worked together to broaden the understanding of antibodies in the human immune system. He moved on teach at the Pasteur Institute in France in 1961. During his time there, he continued to research and teach cellular and molecular immunology. While Lennox had tenure at the Pasteur Institute, he decided to move to the Salk institute instead .

While at the Salk Institute, Lennox and Cohn recognized the growing interest and confusion in antibodies so he obtained a grant to support a workshop. These workshops were small functions aimed at those new to the field. The lively discussions resulted in experiment proposals, criticisms, and ideas which accelerated progress in the field of molecular biology. Lennox would take some time to various classes at the World Health organization. Lennox had many promising students who were interested in his line of work, they worked with him in his laboratory at the Salk Institute .

Death and Legacy

After Lennox graduated from college, he started to make a name for himself by using his scientific background and creating projects, such as the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. Lennox also did more than just scientific projects; he taught courses for the World Health Organization and worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France. All while traveling around the world and opening himself up to different countries and cultures. Overall, Edwin Lennox had a very well-rounded career, carrying on a tremendous legacy. Sadly, Edwin Lennox passed away on August 21st, 2018, at the age of 98 years old. He was buried in the place he grew up and called home, Savannah, Georgia. His legacy will continue to thrive and impact the world greatly

References

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