Background
Rathmann was born on December 25, 1927, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His mother was from the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company Blatzes, while his father was of more humble origins.
genetic engineering company executive
Rathmann was born on December 25, 1927, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His mother was from the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company Blatzes, while his father was of more humble origins.
He had originally planned to attend medical school, before switching to physical chemistry and obtained a Bachelor of Surgery degree in physical chemistry at Northwestern University in three years, then earning a Doctor of Philosophy at Princeton in 1951, by which time he had already been recruited by 3M as a research chemist, where he worked for twenty-one years, helping develop Scotchgard and rising from scientist to corporate manager.
Rathmann left 3M in 1972 to become President of Litton Medical Systems, but was dis-satisfied and left in 1975 to join Abbott Laboratories as Vice President of Research and Development in the Diagnostics Division. At Abbott, Rathmann became interested in recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid and other aspects of biotechnology, and was recruited in 1980 by venture capitalists to help found Amgen, where he would serve as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. In 1983, Rathmann joined the board of directors of the newly formed Biotechnology Industry Organization, and served as its Chairman from 1987-1988. In 1990, Rathmann left Amgen to start Icos, a new biotechnology company in the Seattle area.
While at Icos, he raised the largest-ever-to-date private offering for a biotechnology company.
The offering included an investment from Bill Gates, Gates" first investment in biotechnology. Rathmann left the company in February 2000, and was replaced as Chief Executive Officer and chairman by Paul Clark, a former executive at Abbott, under whom Icos would decline and eventually be sold off to Eli Lilly.
Member National Academy of Engineering, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, Industrial Biotechnology Association (board directors), National Science and Technology Medals Foundation (board director, president), Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi.
Married Frances Joy Anderson, June 24, 1950. Children: James, Margaret, Laura, Sally, Richard.