Southern Research Institute Cancer Pioneer, Dr. Howard E. Skipper, Dies At Age 90

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Howard E. Skipper, a pioneer in cancer research who established and led the cancer drug research program at Southern Research Institute for more than 40 years, died late Monday afternoon, Jan. 2. He was 90.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060104/CLW031 )

“Dr. Skipper led the way for all of us here at Southern Research Institute, as well as for many cancer researchers and clinicians all over the world, in the search for new drugs to combat cancer and new approaches to treating cancer,” said John A. “Jack” Secrist, III, Ph.D., vice president of Drug Discovery at Southern Research. “He inspired us to think about cancer in new ways, and in many ways served as a mentor for us, even to this day.”

At a time when most medical researchers were convinced that cancer could not be cured with drugs, Dr. Skipper demonstrated that combination chemotherapy could, in fact, bring about cures. During his more than 40 year tenure at Southern Research, four commercial drugs and more than a dozen clinically evaluated drugs were designed and developed by Southern Research scientists.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree (1938), a Master’s of Science degree (1939), and his Ph.D. (1941) in biochemistry and nutrition from the University of Florida, where he was also a member of the varsity football and swim teams.

He served in the Army Chemical Warfare Service for five years during World War II, conducting wartime research; first in the Toxicology Section, Medical Division, Chemical Warfare Service, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland from 1941-43; then on temporary assignment to the British government at the Australian Chemical Warfare Field Experiment Station in Queensland, Australia, and followed by a stint in the Far Eastern Technical Unit in New Guinea and the Philippines, for which he received an Army Commendation Citation Medal for research. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Except for his military service, his professional career was spent entirely in Birmingham. Dr. Skipper came to Southern Research in 1946 to establish its cancer research program which became one of the most successful in the world. The program became the foundation for the strong drug discovery and development program still in existence today at Southern Research. Since 1946, Southern Research scientists have discovered more than 20 anti-cancer drugs which have entered clinical trials. Six of those drugs have received FDA approval, and there are currently four additional Southern Research discoveries undergoing clinical trials.

From 1946 to 1974, Dr. Skipper supervised the life sciences work at Southern Research, and he advanced from Assistant Director in 1949 to Vice President in 1964. His scientific interests were broad. He and his scientific associates established a number of principles based on analysis of experiments with leukemia in mice, which proved valuable in planning strategies for the cure of human cancers.

He wrote extensively on the effects of various drugs and treatment schedules on the growth, regression, and re-growth of tumors, and introduced the concept that all cancer cells must be killed to ensure the survival of the patient. He made major contributions to studies involving a variety of regimens using several drugs in combination to avoid the occurrence of drug resistance or to minimize the drugs’ toxic effects. He also conducted studies on the use of drug treatment following surgery or radiation therapy.

In 1974, he was named President of Southern Research Institute, but also remained Director of its Kettering-Meyer Laboratory. He retired as President in 1981 and that year Southern Research dedicated its new chemotherapy research building -- the Howard E. Skipper Chemotherapy Laboratory -- in his honor. Always the ardent scientist, Dr. Skipper continued his cancer research full-time until 1989.

Dr. Skipper served on numerous councils, committees and boards of cancer and scientific organizations, including the President’s National Cancer Advisory Board from 1972-1977. He received numerous awards including the Bristol-Myers Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research, the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the American Cancer Society Award for Distinguished Service in Cancer Control, the Charles F. Kettering Prize and the American Cancer Society National Award.

Dr. Skipper was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Edwards Skipper, and is survived by his daughter, Margaret Ann Skipper, and his son, Howard Earl Skipper, Jr., both of Birmingham.

ABOUT SOUTHERN RESEARCH

Southern Research is an Alabama-based, full-service contract research organization providing preclinical drug discovery and development research and services for public and private sector clients, focusing primarily in cancer, infectious and emerging diseases, and neurological diseases. With six FDA- approved drugs and another four in clinical trials, Southern Research continues to demonstrate research excellence and partnering value in the search for tomorrow’s breakthrough discoveries. For more information, visit www.southernresearch.org.

Media Contact: Rhonda Jung, Southern Research, 205-581-2317, jung@sri.org

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060104/CLW031AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgAP PhotoExpress Network: PRN10PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comSouthern Research

CONTACT: Rhonda Jung of Southern Research, +1-205-581-2317, orjung@sri.org

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