Kaiser, A. Dale
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- A. Dale Kaiser is a founding faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine. He arrived at Stanford in 1959, at the invitation of Arthur Kornberg, during the medical school’s move from San Francisco to Palo Alto. In this oral history, Kaiser reflects on the over sixty years he spent as a researcher and professor in the fields of biochemistry and developmental biology. Kaiser explains that, as a child growing up in rural Ohio, he enjoyed studying and spending time with his father outdoors. He views his service in the military as one of the most influential experiences of his youth. Kaiser was trained to repair communication devices, such as telegraphic equipment and radios, and was stationed in the Philippines during World War II. He believes the problem-solving experience he received in the military, combined with his love of learning, shaped his perspective on research and teaching. Kaiser talks about his undergraduate experience in the general sciences at Purdue University. He also discusses his graduate program at the California Institute of Technology, particularly the development of his teaching style and his early work with viruses and bacteria. Kaiser explains that after graduation he took a job teaching virology at Washington University in St. Louis under Arthur Kornberg. Soon after, Kornberg’s group moved as a unit to Stanford to build a biochemistry department. Kaiser offers a unique perspective about the evolution of the Biochemistry Department. As a founding member, he supported the university president’s goal of providing a more comprehensive curriculum for medical students. He describes the department culture, both then and now, as extremely collaborative with respect to both resources and knowledge. He notes that over time the department has shifted away from organic chemistry towards molecular chemistry. He acknowledges that his own interests similarly shifted more towards structure and development through his research experiences. Kaiser reviews the sabbatical and collaborative research projects with which he has been involved, such as his work with the University of Minnesota on multicellular bacteria. He details his current research relating to cell cooperation, which focuses on the chemical signals sent between cells and their resulting behavioral changes, and emphasizes that the overarching theme of his research is cell communication. Kaiser closes his oral history by crediting his wife for the support she gave him throughout his career.
Description
| Type of resource | mixed material |
|---|---|
| Date created | July 15, 2016 - August 5, 2016 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Kaiser, Dale | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributing author | Pantell, Laurie | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | Dale Kaiser |
|---|---|
| Subject | Stanford University > Department of Biochemistry |
| Subject | Stanford University > Department of Developmental Biology |
| Subject | bacteriophage lambda |
| Subject | Stanford Historical Society |
| Subject | oral histories |
| Subject | interviews |
| Subject | higher education |
| Subject | professors |
Bibliographic information
| Related item |
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|---|---|
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/dw865qx8329 |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
Kaiser, Dale (2016). Oral
History. Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program Interviews (SC0932). Department of
Special Collections & University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford,
Calif. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/dw865qx8329
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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- Contact
- universityarchives@stanford.edu
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