Remembering Ted Taylor

I left Princeton in 1968 with my doctorate in chemistry. Ted Taylor was my mentor, friend, and counselor. I am bereaved at his passing (On the Campus, Jan. 10), and upon hearing of his demise, I was flooded with memories. I remember well the visit the feds paid our group as Ted was just completing a total synthesis of delta-9,10-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active constituent of hashish. All of us involved with the project were grilled by Uncle Sam’s enforcers, and before the end of the day, locks were installed on all the refrigerators that held the “magic” that millions of humanoids on our planet today worship. Ted was a man for all seasons, and his legacy to chemistry and to life is for all time.