Obituary

91, of Ann Arbor, MI, died Thursday, February 17, 2011 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor. Mildred Catherine Rebstock was born November 29, 1919 in Elkhart, IN, the daughter of Redna (Dunkelberger) and Adolph Rebstock. She graduated from Elkhart High School in 1938. She continued her education at North Central College in Naperville, IL, from which she completed a B. A. degree with High Honors (1942). Mildred did further graduate education at the University of Illinois, Urbane, IL, in Biochemistry where she earned a M. A. (1943) and a Ph. D. (1945). Following the completion of her formal graduate education, Mildred was employed as a medicinal chemist in the research laboratories of Parke-Davis in Detroit and Ann Arbor. She worked her entire professional career doing pharmaceutical research, initially with antibiotics and later researched the synthesis of blood-lipid agents and fertility drugs in the Parke-Davis laboratories. She was the key scientist of a research team at Parke-Davis that determined the chemical structure of one of the "Wonder Drug Antibiotics", Chloromycetin, and worked out the complete laboratory synthesis of Chloromycetin. This laboratory antibiotic was alike in all respects to the Chloromycetin produced by the mold. This was the first time that an antibiotic produced by a mold had been synthesized in a laboratory from readily available chemicals. As a result, Chloromycetin was mass-produced at a very economical price. Time Magazine published a feature article about the antibiotic, Chloromycetin, and Dr. Rebstock's contribution in the April 4, 1949 issue. In 1950, Mildred was honored as "The Woman of the Year in Science" by the Women's National Press Club. This award was presented to Dr. Rebstock in Washington, D. C. by President Harry Truman. Dr. Rebstock was also nominated for a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work with Chloromycetin. Dr. Rebstock was elected a member or Phi Beta Kappa and she was a member of the American Chemical Society (Emeritis), Sigma XI Scientific Society (Emeritis), and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Rebstock was also a member of the First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor. Mildred is survived by two brothers, Rev. John and Frances (Touchert) Rebstock of Fargo, ND, and their daughter, Cathy Prichard of Fargo; and Dr. Ted and Barbara (Lee) Rebstock, of Lemars, IA, and their sons, David of Sioux City, IA, and Donald of Greys Lake, IL. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service for Mildred will take place at a later date in the spring. Arrangements entrusted to the Muehlig Funeral Chapel, www.muehligannarbor.com.

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Like most modern advances, the achievement was due to teamwork. But a large part of the credit goes to pretty Dr. Mildred Rebstock, a 28-year-old research chemist who chose a career in research chemistry because "I just liked that sort of thing better than some others." Born in Indiana, Dr. Rebstock (Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1945) joined Parke, Davis soon after she left school. She was assigned to the chloromycetin research project in 1947. After two years of testing, she became the first to isolate a synthetic form of chloromycetin that worked on human patients. The life-saving antibiotic contains two chemicals which are normally poisonous: a nitrobenzene compound and a derivative of dichloracetic acid, now used chiefly for getting rid of warts.

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