Background
Mosher, Harry Stone was born on August 31, 1915 in Salem, Oregon, United States. Son of Daniel Harris and Maude Aurelia (Stone) Mosher.
Mosher, Harry Stone was born on August 31, 1915 in Salem, Oregon, United States. Son of Daniel Harris and Maude Aurelia (Stone) Mosher.
Bachelor, Willamette University, 1937. Master of Science, Oregon State College, 1939. Doctor of Philosophy, Pennsylvania State College, 1942.
Doctor of Science, Willamette University, 1981.
He went on to Oregon State University, where he earned a master"s degree in 1938. He then returned to Willamette to teach for one year. In 1939, he continued his graduate work at Pennsylvania State University under the mentorship of Frank C. Whitmore, a renowned organic chemistry
He remained at Pennsylvania State as an assistant professor, supervising research on synthetic anti-malarial drugs for the National Research Council and the production of DDT with the War Production Board.
In 1944, Mosher married Carol Walker, a fellow chemistry graduate student at the university. While at Stanford, Mosher taught organic chemistry and conducted research in natural products chemistry and stereochemistry.
He and his graduate student Melanchton Brown identified a deadly toxin produced by the California newt living in Stanford"s Lake Lagunita, calling it tarichatoxin. They soon discovered that it was the same toxin produced by the puffer fish, used in a rare type of sushi that if prepared incorrectly could paralyze and kill human diners.
Mosher determined the structure of the toxin, which is known as tetrodotoxin.
Mosher worked on many other natural products including both plant pigments and toxic substances. Mosher also invented the "Mosher reagent" or Mosher"s acid, which is used to measure the degree of leftor right-handedness in organic molecules. Mosher retired from Stanford in 1981.
He spent his later life engaged in tennis and skiing, and lunched regularly with his friends at the Rathskeller in the Stanford Faculty Club.
Board trustees Palo Alto Methodist Church, 1987-1990. Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, California Academy of Sciences, Chemical Society London. Member American Chemical Society (councilor 1966-1986, committee on professional training 1970-1980).
Married Carol Beth Walker, June 23, 1944. Children: Janet Lee, Stephen Eric, Leslie Jean.