A Legend Lives on Through Endowment
Walter Lwowski, emeritus research professor in the department of chemistry at New Mexico State University, passed away in April 2010 at the age of 81. His affiliation with the university began in 1966 and, thanks to his major estate gift, will impact the department in perpetuity. Additionally, funds from his estate are earmarked for the university library to support the Dr. Walter W.G. Lwowski Archives containing his papers and books.
Dr. Lwowski grew up in Garmish, Germany. He was educated at Heidelberg University where he earned his doctorate in organic chemistry in 1955. He immigrated to the United States to do post-doctorate work, first at UCLA and then at Harvard, where he worked with Robert Woodward on the total synthesis of chlorophyll, which later earned a Noble Prize in chemistry for Robert Woodward.
Lwowski was on the faculty at Yale University when he was lured to New Mexico State University. The chemistry department was just beginning its Ph.D. program, and Lwowski helped develop the graduate program in organic chemistry. He also established an international reputation for his research in nitrene chemistry and nitrogen heterocyclic chemistry. Countless masters, doctorate and post-doctorate students studied with him prior to his retirement in 1991.
One of his special talents was maintaining the instrumentation required to perform sensitive research projects, which helped build the department's reputation. He continued to maintain this instrumentation during his retirement and built several pieces of demonstration equipment used in the department's outreach educational programs.
His endowment will provide funding going forward for the repair, maintenance and purchase of chemical and biochemical research instrumentation for the chemistry department. In these days of declining departmental budgets, this gift is invaluable. According to his former colleagues, "Walter is irreplaceable, but his gift will make an enormous difference."
These colleagues remember Dr. Lwowski as someone who rarely appeared in public without his customary suit and tie. Although he might shed his tie while performing repair jobs or hiking in his beloved Organ Mountains in New Mexico, he always wore a suit.
Lwowski traveled extensively to Austria, Germany and Thailand. He was a collector of rare books and classical music and a patron of both the Las Cruces and El Paso symphonies.