Carl Djerassi was an Austrian-born Bulgarian-American chemist, novelist, and playwright best known for his contribution to the development of oral contraceptive pills. He was born on October 29, 1923 in Vienna, Austria. Djerassi started his college career at Newark Junior College, briefly attended Tarkio College, and then studied chemistry at Kenyon College, where he graduated summa cum laude.  After one year at CIBA, he moved to the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1945. In 1957, he became vice president of research at Syntex in Mexico City while on leave of absence from Wayne State. In 1960 Djerassi became a professor of chemistry at Stanford University, a position he held until 2002 but only part-time as he never left industry. From 1968 until 1972 he also served as president of Syntex Research at Palo Alto. He received 34 honorary doctorates and a score of professional and government awards, including the National Medal of Science (chemistry), the nation’s highest science honor, presented by President Richard M. Nixon in 1973, and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest technology award, presented by President George Bush in 1991.