James H. Schwartz

Eric R. Kandel

J Clin Invest. 2006;116(5):1128-1128. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI28587.

Obituary

Jimmy was my oldest friend. He was simply a wonderful person and one of the most interesting, accomplished, and generous people I have ever known. I first met Jimmy in 1951 at Harvard Summer School, when he, Bob Goldberger, Henry Nunberg, Robert Spitzer, and I shared a large house. Jimmy and I rapidly became friends, based in part on our common interest in music and German literature. One year later, in the fall of 1952, I began medical school at NYU. To my delight, I was joined over the next two years by Bob Spitzer and then by Jimmy and Bob Goldberger. Jimmy’s talent for science was evident from the very beginning. While still a student, he carried out an outstanding set of studies with Werner Maas on feedback inhibition in bacterial metabolism. This work was so impressive that, upon completing medical school, Jimmy was nominated to apply to the highly selective graduate program in biology that had just been established at the Rockefeller by Detlev Bronk. Jimmy readily qualified for this program, which also included in its first few classes Gerald Edelman, Ed Reich, Bertil Hille, and Chuck Stevens, among other future giants of biology. At the Rockefeller, Jimmy obtained his PhD under the direction of the Nobel laureate Fritz Lipmann, working on bacterial enzyme mechanisms and the control […]

Find the latest version: https://jci.me/28587/pdf Obituary James H. Schwartz

Jimmy was my oldest friend. He was sim- vous system and one of the leading thinkers Siegelbaum, Seta Izmirly, and I would roar ply a wonderful person and one of the most on the relationship of the brain to behavior. with laughter as Jimmy’s scathing hand- interesting, accomplished, and generous It is easy to think of at least four con- written comments arrived on our desks. On people I have ever known. tributions that Jimmy made during the one chapter he wrote, “This undoubtedly I first met Jimmy in 1951 at Harvard course of his career that are central to brain is the worst chapter ever.” On another, “I Summer School, when he, Bob Goldberger, science as we know it today. First, his dis- don’t think I should see this chapter for a Henry Nunberg, Robert Spitzer, and I shared covery of the role of cAMP signaling during while: it seems to get worse each time.” On a large house. Jimmy and I rapidly became learning was fundamental for the molecu- a third, “The organization of this chapter is friends, based in part on our common inter- lar understanding of memory storage and fine — its main problem is style of writing est in music and German literature. led to his later being recruited to the How- — almost always hyper-inflated and ‘fancy,’ One year later, in the fall of 1952, I began ard Hughes Medical Institute, together and usually a bit unclear — I don’t think it medical school at NYU. To my delight, I was with Richard Axel and myself. should go back to the authors — they will joined over the next two years by Bob Spitzer Second, his interest in bringing biochem- only translate it back into the language and then by Jimmy and Bob Goldberger. istry to bear on behavior was fundamental used for drug advertisements.” Some of Jimmy’s talent for science was evident to the formation of the first Center for the best barbs were meant for me: “I really from the very beginning. While still a stu- Neurobiology and Behavior in this country don’t like this chapter, partly because of the dent, he carried out an outstanding set of — initially at NYU and later at Columbia. things you say, but mostly because of the studies with Werner Maas on feedback inhi- way you say them.” bition in bacterial metabolism. This work He also made contributions to numis- was so impressive that, upon completing matics, the collection of antiquities, and medical school, Jimmy was nominated to bringing neural science to psychoanalysis, apply to the highly selective graduate pro- and these are only the areas of interest that gram in biology that had just been estab- I was aware of. He shared these interests lished at the Rockefeller by Detlev Bronk. with his friends, and he infected us all with Jimmy readily qualified for this program, his unpretentious, informed enthusiasm. which also included in its first few classes What is remarkable about Jimmy’s Gerald Edelman, Ed Reich, Bertil Hille, accomplishments and enthusiasms is that and Chuck Stevens, among other future he managed to be so creative even though giants of biology. At the Rockefeller, Jimmy his life was not easy. From his youth on, obtained his PhD under the direction of Jimmy was ill at times and down at others. the Nobel laureate Fritz Lipmann, working But he always bounced back. A lot of this on bacterial enzyme mechanisms and the resilience was intrinsic to Jimmy. He had a control of protein synthesis. genuinely optimistic view of the future. But By the time he graduated from Rockefell- he also benefited greatly from his family, er, Jimmy had established himself as an out- from his children Peter and Daisy, whom standing biochemist. He was recruited back he adored and who adored him, and from to NYU in 1965 as an assistant professor in Fran, his first wife. the Department of Microbiology. The same Fran’s death was very hard for Jimmy, but year, I was recruited to NYU from Harvard. Third, the idea of going from molecules then he met Cathy, and she fulfilled his later When Jimmy and I met again at NYU, we to behavior was the organizing theme life beyond his wildest dreams. I am sure talked often about science, and he men- of the neural science course that Jimmy that in the last year he fought every day to tioned that he was thinking of switching helped develop at Columbia. This course stay alive because it allowed him to spend from studying bacteria to working on the was the first that made the study of behav- one more day with Cathy. In a routine con- brain. Because the nerve cells of the snail ior a central focus in the teaching of neural versation with Cathy a few weeks ago, she Aplysia, which I was studying, were so large science to medical students. said to me, “Jimmy and I are having a won- and uniquely identifiable, they seemed to Fourth, that course gave rise to Principles derful time these days. He is so buoyant and Jimmy like good candidates for a study of Neural Science, the textbook that many happy. It is like a honeymoon.” of biochemical identity — that is, how of you know and love. Jimmy contributed If one has to say farewell after a full, cre- one nerve cell differs from another at the enormously to each of the five editions. ative, and generous life, probably the best molecular level. This gave rise to a classic With each edition, his editorial demands way to say it is after a honeymoon at age 74. set of studies, the Giller-Schwartz papers became greater. Jimmy was a superb writ- that pioneered the biochemistry of Aplysia. er — he loved precision in language. This Eric R. Kandel The immediate success of these papers made him an extraordinary editor. Division of Neurobiology and Behavior, encouraged Jimmy to devote himself to the We worked together on the current edition Columbia University College of Physicians nervous system. He rapidly became one of until the very end. Jimmy was never satisfied and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA. the leading biochemists studying the ner- with any of the chapters. Tom Jessel, Steve [email protected].

1128 The Journal of Clinical Investigation http://www.jci.org Volume 116 Number 5 May 2006