Jerry L. McLaughlin, Ph.D (1939-2023)

The ASP community mourns the passing of Dr. Jerry L. McLaughlin on May 15, 2023, at the age of 83. Jerry McLaughlin dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge and teaching, making remarkable contributions to medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy. He served as a mentor, a highly valued natural products researcher, and a respected member of the ASP. For many of us who had the privilege of working and studying alongside him, he was also an inspiration and a cherished friend.

McLaughlin grew up in Coldwater, Michigan, and received his B.S. in Pharmacy (1961), M.S. (1963), and Ph.D. (1965) in Pharmacognosy all from the University of Michigan, studying under Professor Ara Paul. He was a faculty member at the University of Michigan (1966), University of Missouri in Kansas City (1967), the University of Washington (1967-1971), Purdue University (1971-1999), and then a Vice President at Nature’s Sunshine (1999-2004). 

He joined the ASP as a graduate student around 1963 and attended his first meeting in 1964 in Pittsburgh. This came to be known as the “Vinca-tini” meeting. Vinca because it had a heavy emphasis on all aspects of the Vinca alkaloids, which were just being approved by the FDA, and ‘tini’ because of the green colored mixed drinks (like martinis) that were served by Dr. Norman Farnsworth and consumed copiously by many members while on a boat tour. He shared fond memories of this meeting, both for the strong science discussed and the lasting social bonds formed. His experiences at these early ASP meetings made a lasting impression, and he was committed to providing similar experiences to his own students years later.

He was part of the “golden group” that Varro Tyler brought together at Purdue University in the early 1970s, a generation of brilliant and passionate scientists who shared a deep curiosity for natural products and pharmacognosy, working alongside Heinz Floss, James E. Robbers, John M. Cassady, Ulfert Hornemann, Peter Heinstein, Steven R. Byrn, Ching-Jer Chang, David Smith, and John Schwab, he helped shape an extraordinary period of creativity and collaboration that left a lasting mark on the field.

The 1970s, 1980s, and the early 1990s were a time of inspiration and growth. Their collective enthusiasm and vision transformed Purdue into a dynamic hub for natural products research, expanding the graduate program, attracting strong federal and industrial support, and thereby building a lasting scientific legacy. In those early years, the group played a decisive role in creating the Purdue Cancer Research Center. This pioneering initiative became a powerhouse of natural product research for anticancer agents. Through leadership and dedication, Purdue rose to international prominence between 1970 and 1999 as one of the world’s leading institutions in the field.

As associate editor of the Journal of Natural Products, he upheld its reputation as a premier journal in natural product research. When he was President of the ASP from 1982-1983, he noted that his most pressing concern was the Journal. At that time, there was an active search for a new Editor, and he eventually convinced James Robbers to take it over, which he did faithfully for over twelve years. There was also considerable debate in the Society on whether to keep the Journal or sell it to a publisher. He came down and fought to keep it, a position that seems prescient given the prominence and revenue it brings to the ASP today.

He greatly enjoyed all ASP meetings, but he pointed to the meeting in Halifax in 1994. By this time, he was a Professor at Purdue with a large research group. He drove nearly two dozen students and postdocs there, two van loads, from West Lafayette, IN to Halifax, Nova Scotia, a trip that took more than 30 hours one way. Dr. McLaughlin always made it an emphasis to bring all his students to the ASP meetings, usually by van. He commented that it formed strong bonds between the students and postdocs, as they were stuck together during these long road trips. Throughout the 1990s, McLaughlin typically brought a dozen or more lab members to the annual meeting. The poster sessions were noteworthy for the entire row of Old Gold and Black (Purdue’s colors) posters, with one of his students or postdocs answering questions next to them.

Rachel Mata recalls: 

He affectionately called me the “superior mother” because I liked to keep everything under control and could be quite demanding. Over time, he grew to appreciate and respect that part of me. Eventually, I even had my own small laboratory on the fourth floor, while the other graduate students shared the lab across the hall. When my daughter Mónica was born, I was finishing my master’s degree; then, he bet that I would leave school. I won that bet, and I never did. I invited him to Mexico several times, and he stayed at my home. He was always so kind, warm, and gentle with my children. I keep in my kitchen an onion-shaped ornament he gave me, a small but treasured reminder of his generosity and thoughtfulness. 

Once, he had a “shoe project”. I do not remember the details. It was quite an amusing story. As I recall, the manufacturer had used material that produced an unpleasant odor because of bacterial growth, and he managed to solve the problem with characteristic creativity and humor. He was like that.

Those who visited his house will probably remember it as a museum-like place, filled with souvenirs from around the world: animal skins, a mounted deer, Amazonian artifacts, and many curiosities. His home showed his love for travel, his curiosity about life, and his appreciation of the natural world.

He was a kind, sweet, and generous man, warm, talkative, and endlessly sharing. To those of us who had the privilege of knowing him, he was more than a professor or mentor: he was a friend whose warmth and spirit will always be remembered.