LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman,
Nobel Prize winner, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his
community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herbert Aaron Hauptman, Buffalo's only Nobel Prize
winner, died on Sunday, October 23, 2011, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, A brilliant mathematician and scientist, Dr. Herbert A.
Hauptman earned the world's most prestigious science award for Chemistry
in 1985, for pioneering work on crystal structures; and
WHEREAS, The President of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research
Institute, he spent most of his life searching for answers to the
mysteries of the structure of crystals and molecules; and
WHEREAS, Although he never invented a drug or medicine, Dr. Herbert A.
Hauptman's research made it easier for other scientists to develop thou-
sands of drugs and medical procedures to treat a wide array of
illnesses; his legacy is the scientific knowledge he created and the
three generations of scientists he inspired and mentored; and
WHEREAS, His work was world-renowned and bettered the lives of
millions; those fortunate to have known him, knew him as a friendly,
down-to-earth man who never let his accomplishments go to his head,
never rested on his laurels and never stopped searching for ways to save
lives; and
WHEREAS, A native of the Bronx, Herbert A. Hauptman was born February
14, 1917; his father was a printer and his mother worked as a sales
clerk in a store; and
WHEREAS, His love of science developed at a very early age; he began
reading newspaper articles on the subject when he was five years-old and
loved going to the library every Saturday; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman earned an undergraduate degree from
City College of New York, graduating in a class that eventually produced
three Nobel winners; and
WHEREAS, In 1943, he was drafted into the United States Navy; he
served his country as an officer in the Pacific during World War II;
after the war, he worked as a researcher for many years at the Navy
Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.; in 1954, he earned a Ph.D. in
mathematics from the University of Maryland; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman made Buffalo, New York, his adopted
hometown in 1970 when he relocated there to take a position with the
Medical Foundation; it was later renamed the Hauptman-Woodward Institute
after Dr. Hauptman was awarded the Nobel Prize; and
WHEREAS, For work that was done before he came to Buffalo, Dr. Herbert
A. Hauptman and his longtime research partner, Jerome Karle, Ph.D., won
the Nobel Prize for their pioneering work on crystal structures; the two
men developed a mathematical process for analyzing the structure of
crystals; that process, known as direct methods, was used to study tens
of thousands of small molecule crystal structures; and
WHEREAS, Their procedure generated a three-dimensional picture of the
positions of atoms within a crystal; their work helped other researchers
to understand how drugs function in the human body and made it easier to
develop new drugs; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman and Jerome Karle, Ph.D. were honored
for their outstanding achievements in the development of direct methods
for the determination of crystal structures; and

WHEREAS, In addition to the Nobel Prize, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman was
the recipient of many other awards and accolades; he also received
honorary degrees from colleges and universities around the world,
including an honorary doctorate from the University at Buffalo in 2009;
and
WHEREAS, In 2008, he published an autobiography, ON THE BEAUTY OF
SCIENCE A NOBEL LAUREATE REFLECTS ON THE UNIVERSE,GOD AND THE NATURE OF
DISCOVERY; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman distinguished himself in his profes-
sion and by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the
welfare of his community; and
WHEREAS, He was dedicated to the pursuit of world peace and took great
pleasure in talking with young people who shared his fascination with
math and science; after winning the Nobel Prize, he would often visit
schools and speak to the students about his work; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman is survived by his wife of 71 years,
Edith Citrynell Hauptman; two daughters, Carol Fullerton and Barbara
Hauptman; and one brother, Robert Hauptman; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman leaves behind a legacy which will
long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory
to all he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman, Nobel Prize winner, distin-
guished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman.