Some of the top organic chemists gave presentations on the latest research in organic chemistry and its applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical science during a recent daylong symposium honoring Franklin Davis, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Chemistry at Temple. The symposium was hosted by Temple’s Department of Chemistry and College of Science and Technology.

More than 150 of Davis’ colleagues, collaborators, mentors, classmates and former students attended the symposium in Mitchell and Hilarie Morgan Hall, which was held in commemoration of Davis’ 75th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the publication of his first research article.

A member of Temple’s chemistry faculty since 1995, Davis is best known for pioneering two new areas of chemistry, N-sulfonyloxaziridines and N-sulfinyl imines, which have resulted in new reagents (molecular compounds) that bear his name and are used by the chemistry community worldwide.

“Frank is internationally known for his work,” said Temple Chemistry Professor Scott Sieburth, who co-organized the symposium along with Associate Chemistry Professor Rodrigo Andrade and Assistant Chemistry Professor William Wuest. “If you talked with anybody in organic chemistry and said ‘Davis reagent,’ they would ask, ‘Which one?’ That’s quite rare.”

Researchers from numerous institutions, including Princeton University, the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and the Scripps Research Institute, presented at the symposium.

Sieburth said the organizers received so many recommendations for speakers and acceptances to present, they could have held the event over two days.

Davis, who published his first article in the Journal of Organic Chemistry in 1964 while a doctoral student at Syracuse University, said he was initially reluctant about having the symposium but called it a “terrific honor and a very humbling experience.

“Often when they hold a symposium in your honor, it’s because you’re retiring or you’re dead; and I wasn’t really thrilled with everyone knowing I was 75,” he said. “But I’ve been around a long, long time, and you begin to realize time goes by very quickly, particularly when you enjoy what you are doing.”

The symposium’s distinguished speakers are world-class researchers in their areas, “and I have a connection to most of them,” said Davis, who was surprised by the turnout.

Reflecting on his career, Davis, who has been a recipient of Philadelphia’s John Scott Award and the American Chemical Society’s Arthur C. Cope Award, said the thing he is most proud of is the talented students who have worked in his lab. “They did a lot of the work and made key discoveries that led into new areas of chemistry.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have had the life I’ve had,” he said. “How many people are still working at age 75 and doing what they love to do.”