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Dr. Emil Mrak (1901–1987)
REGULATORY
TOXICOLOGY
AND
PHARMACOLOGY
7,337-338
(1987)
IN MEMORIAM Dr. Emil Mrak (1901-l 987) Dr. Emil Mrak died April 9, 1987, at the University of California, Davis (UCD), Medical Center in Sacramento, California. He was 85 years old-or perhaps it should be said he was 85 years young. Emil was taken ill at the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport as he and his wife, Vera Greaves Mrak, returned from visiting their son in Arkansas. He was taken to UCD Medical Center, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Emil was born in San Francisco, California, in 1901 and he was raised on a fmit farm in the Santa Clara Valley. He received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and became an instructor of food technology at the Berkeley campus in 1937, the year he received his doctorate. He had held full professorial rank since 1948. That same year he became chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology and moved in 195 1, with most of the departmental staff, to the Davis campus. Since his earliest years with the university, he had been interested in the preservation of fruits by drying and had become increasingly concerned with world food problems, particularly in developing nations. During the World War II years of 1944 to 1945, Emil served as a civilian scientist with the U.S. Army, working on the development of rations that could stand climate extremes and the rigors of military handling. In 1969, he was awarded “The Outstanding Civilian Service Award” by the Department of the Army in recognition of his meritorious public service. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) awarded him the Nicholas Appert Medal in 1957, the Babcock-Hart Award in 196 1, and the International Award in 1963; he was the first person to win all three. In 1970, he was elected a Fellow of the IFI and was the recipient of the Distinguished Food Scientist of the Year Award from the New York Section of IFT. Among his many other honors are Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology of Great Britain, 1970; the Spencer Award for outstanding achievement in agricultural chemistry from the American Chemical Society, 1973: Atwater Memorial Lecture from the USDA, 1976; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1977. He was one of the founders of the International Academy of Environmental Safety (IAES) and the International Society of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (SECOTOX). He was past president of the IAES and was a member of the Board of Directors of each of these societies. He served on the Editorial Board of the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety for many years. 337 0273-2300187
$3.00
Copyright 0 1987 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
338
IN MEMORIAM: EMIL MRAK
His influence, not only in America but throughout the world, was so great in the areas of food additives that we owe him a great debt of gratitude. In 1969 he was appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare as Chair of the Secretary’s Commission on Pesticides and Their Relationship to Environmental Health. The document that was produced, known worldwide as “The Mrak Report,” was the turning point in understanding the impact of the role of chemicals on environmental affairs. The Mrak Report still stands today as an oustanding document and is literally used as a reference source by all scholars in toxicology and environmental health. In his role as Chairman of the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) he influenced greatly for the good of mankind the decisions and the policies of the EPA. He was a master at chairing a meeting. As chairman and as a member of innumerable committees, he helped shape the careers and the policies of many people in academia, government, and industry. He always was an advocate for the common man. In fact, the wine industry of California was advanced by the fact that when Emil was Chancellor of the University of California, Davis, he established the first Department of Enology in the United States, which was a great gift to the common man for a wholesome, good, and inexpensive libation. He was also responsible for the establishment of the Primate Center at Davis. The book Silent Spring, issued in 1958, precipitated much discussion and, as Dale R. Lindsay, Scientist Director (Retired), U.S. Public Health Service, one of Emil’s very close friends, has pointed out, there was a need for creating a new Study Section at the National Institutes of Health. Emil handled the Food Science part and his understanding of the problems involved was of tremendous value to the Study Section in both its review of applications and its promotion of research needs. In addition to his wife, Vera, Emil is survived by his son, Robert of Little Rock, Arkansas, his daughter Antoinette Hodapp of Davis, California, and four grandchildren. Emil always encouraged others to do the best that they could in developing their careers. He loved students and was always concerned about their future success. Indeed, he was not only a fine scholar, but a man of great compassion. Above all, wherever he appeared he was always a gentleman. We have lost a wonderful friend; society has lost an advocate of the highest quality dedicated to the protection of the health and safety of mankind. His peers, his colleagues, his students, his friends, will miss him very much. FREDERICKCOULSTON
Editor
TOXICOLOGY
AND
PHARMACOLOGY
7,337-338
(1987)
IN MEMORIAM Dr. Emil Mrak (1901-l 987) Dr. Emil Mrak died April 9, 1987, at the University of California, Davis (UCD), Medical Center in Sacramento, California. He was 85 years old-or perhaps it should be said he was 85 years young. Emil was taken ill at the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport as he and his wife, Vera Greaves Mrak, returned from visiting their son in Arkansas. He was taken to UCD Medical Center, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Emil was born in San Francisco, California, in 1901 and he was raised on a fmit farm in the Santa Clara Valley. He received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and became an instructor of food technology at the Berkeley campus in 1937, the year he received his doctorate. He had held full professorial rank since 1948. That same year he became chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology and moved in 195 1, with most of the departmental staff, to the Davis campus. Since his earliest years with the university, he had been interested in the preservation of fruits by drying and had become increasingly concerned with world food problems, particularly in developing nations. During the World War II years of 1944 to 1945, Emil served as a civilian scientist with the U.S. Army, working on the development of rations that could stand climate extremes and the rigors of military handling. In 1969, he was awarded “The Outstanding Civilian Service Award” by the Department of the Army in recognition of his meritorious public service. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) awarded him the Nicholas Appert Medal in 1957, the Babcock-Hart Award in 196 1, and the International Award in 1963; he was the first person to win all three. In 1970, he was elected a Fellow of the IFI and was the recipient of the Distinguished Food Scientist of the Year Award from the New York Section of IFT. Among his many other honors are Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology of Great Britain, 1970; the Spencer Award for outstanding achievement in agricultural chemistry from the American Chemical Society, 1973: Atwater Memorial Lecture from the USDA, 1976; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1977. He was one of the founders of the International Academy of Environmental Safety (IAES) and the International Society of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (SECOTOX). He was past president of the IAES and was a member of the Board of Directors of each of these societies. He served on the Editorial Board of the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety for many years. 337 0273-2300187
$3.00
Copyright 0 1987 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
338
IN MEMORIAM: EMIL MRAK
His influence, not only in America but throughout the world, was so great in the areas of food additives that we owe him a great debt of gratitude. In 1969 he was appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare as Chair of the Secretary’s Commission on Pesticides and Their Relationship to Environmental Health. The document that was produced, known worldwide as “The Mrak Report,” was the turning point in understanding the impact of the role of chemicals on environmental affairs. The Mrak Report still stands today as an oustanding document and is literally used as a reference source by all scholars in toxicology and environmental health. In his role as Chairman of the Science Advisory Board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) he influenced greatly for the good of mankind the decisions and the policies of the EPA. He was a master at chairing a meeting. As chairman and as a member of innumerable committees, he helped shape the careers and the policies of many people in academia, government, and industry. He always was an advocate for the common man. In fact, the wine industry of California was advanced by the fact that when Emil was Chancellor of the University of California, Davis, he established the first Department of Enology in the United States, which was a great gift to the common man for a wholesome, good, and inexpensive libation. He was also responsible for the establishment of the Primate Center at Davis. The book Silent Spring, issued in 1958, precipitated much discussion and, as Dale R. Lindsay, Scientist Director (Retired), U.S. Public Health Service, one of Emil’s very close friends, has pointed out, there was a need for creating a new Study Section at the National Institutes of Health. Emil handled the Food Science part and his understanding of the problems involved was of tremendous value to the Study Section in both its review of applications and its promotion of research needs. In addition to his wife, Vera, Emil is survived by his son, Robert of Little Rock, Arkansas, his daughter Antoinette Hodapp of Davis, California, and four grandchildren. Emil always encouraged others to do the best that they could in developing their careers. He loved students and was always concerned about their future success. Indeed, he was not only a fine scholar, but a man of great compassion. Above all, wherever he appeared he was always a gentleman. We have lost a wonderful friend; society has lost an advocate of the highest quality dedicated to the protection of the health and safety of mankind. His peers, his colleagues, his students, his friends, will miss him very much. FREDERICKCOULSTON
Editor