John S. Driscoll *60

John died April 4, 2025, in Rockville, Md.

Born in Jamestown, N.Y., May 31, 1934, he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Michigan State University in 1955 and earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Princeton in 1960.

After eight years as a research group leader at Monsanto Research Corp. in Boston, he joined the National Institutes of Health, where he spent 30 years in new drug research at the National Cancer Institute. John started an anticancer drug discovery laboratory and was the technical monitor for numerous chemistry contracts between the NCI and various universities. During his first 15 years at the institute, John’s research emphasized finding new anticancer drugs for the treatment of brain tumors. He specialized in anti-AIDS drugs during his final 15 years, and this research introduced three additional anti-HIV drugs into clinical trials.

John’s work generated approximately 150 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and more than 20 U.S. patents. He made technical presentations on anticancer and anti-AIDS drugs at numerous national and international meetings and organized international scientific symposia. After retiring in 1999, he wrote a textbook on antiviral drugs.

John is survived by his wife, Katherine; children John, Margaret, and Laura; and five grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.