Oral History eLibrary

Some oral histories may not be available online. You may also search OskiCat for additional oral history records and related materials.

Biotechnology
Paul Berg, A Stanford Professor's Career in Biochemistry, Science Politics, and the Biotechnology Industry, 2000, 249 pp.

Mary Betlach, Early Cloning and Recombinant DNA Technology at Herbert W. Boyer's UCSF Laboratory, 2002, 79 pp.

Stanley N. Cohen, Science, Biotechnology, and Recombinant DNA: A Personal History, 2009, 376 pp.

Genentech
Herbert W. Boyer, Recombinant DNA Science at UCSF and Its Commercialization at Genentech, 2001, 188 pp.

Brook Byers, Biotechnology Venture Capitalist, 1970-2006, 2006, 95 pp.

Roberto Crea, DNA Chemistry at the Dawn of Commercial Biotechnology, 2004, 110 pp.

David V. Goeddel, Scientist at Genentech, CEO at Tularik, 2003, 202 pp.

James Gower, Business Development and Marketing Strategy at Genentech, 1982-2002, 2006, 76 pp.

Herbert L. Heyneker, Molecular Geneticist at UCSF and Genentech, Entrepreneur in Biotechnology, 2004, 238 pp.

Keiichi Itakura, DNA Synthesis at City of Hope for Genentech, 2006, 80 pp.

Irving S. Johnson, Eli Lilly and the Rise of Biotechnology, 2006, 119 pp.

Thomas D. Kiley, Genentech Legal Counsel and Vice President, 1976-1988, and Entrepreneur, 2002, 217 pp.

Dennis G. Kleid, Scientist and Patent Agent at Genentech, 2002, 215 pp.

Laurence Lasky, Vaccine and Adhesion Molecule Research at Genentech, 80 pp.

Arthur Levinson [In Progress]

David W. Martin, M.D., UCSF Professor, Genentech Vice President of Research, and Beyond, 2006.

Fred A. Middleton, First Chief Financial Officer at Genentech, 1978-1984, 2002, 267 pp.

Diane Pennica, T-PA and Other Research Contributions at Genentech, 2004, 100 pp.

Thomas J. Perkins, Kleiner Perkins, Venture Capital, and the Chairmanship of Genentech, 1976-1995, 2001, 82 pp.

Kirk G. Raab, CEO at Genentech, 1990-1995, 2003, 135 pp.

Arthur Riggs, City of Hope's Contribution to Early Genentech Research, 2006, 119 pp.

Richard Scheller, Conducting Research in Academia, Directing Research at Genentech, 2002, 59 pp.

Robert A. Swanson, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Genentech, Inc., 1976-1996, 2000, 127 pp.

Axel Ullrich, Molecular Biologist at UCSF and Genentech, 2005, 70 pp.

Daniel Yansura, Senior Scientist at Genentech, 2002, 94 pp.

William D. Young, Director of Manufacturing at Genentech, 2006, 72 pp.

Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes. Drawing from this unparalleled collection of interviews with early biotech players, Sally Smith Hughes offers the first book-length history of this pioneering company, depicting Genentech’s improbable creation, precarious youth, and ascent to immense prosperity. Hughes provides intimate portraits of the people significant to Genentech’s science and business, including cofounders Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson, and in doing so sheds new light on how personality affects the growth of science. By placing Genentech’s founders, followers, opponents, victims, and beneficiaries in context, Hughes also demonstrates how science interacts with commercial and legal interests and university research, and with government regulation, venture capital, and commercial profits.


Amgen
George B. Rathmann, Ph.D., Chairman, CEO, and President of Amgen, 1980-1988, 2005, 194 pp..


Chiron
Ronald Cape, MBA, Ph.D., Biotech Pioneer and Co-Founder of CETUS, 2006, 170 pp.

Donald Glaser, The Bubble Chamber, Bioengineering, Business Consulting, and Neurobiology, 2006, 151 pp.

William G. Green, General Counsel Chiron Corporation, 2008, 107 pp.

Edward E. Penhoet, Regional Characteristics of Biotechnology in the United States: Perspectives of Three Industry Insiders, 2001, 107 pp.

Steven Rosenberg, Early Scientist at Chiron Corporation, 2005, 70 pp.

William J. Rutter, The Department of Biochemistry and the Molecular Approach to Biomedicine at the University of California, San Francisco, volume I, 1998, 237 pp.

William J. Rutter, Volume II [In Progress]

Michael S. Urdea, Nucleic Acid Chemistry at Chiron Corporation, 2008, 47 pp.

Pablo Valenzuela [In Progress]


Bioscience
Horace Barker, Scientist & Professor of Microbial Biochemistry at Berkeley, 2001, 118 pp.

Lincoln Constance, Versatile Berkeley Botanist: Plant Taxonomy and University Governance. 1987, 362 pp.

Sanford S. Elberg, Graduate Education and Microbiology at the University of California, Berkeley, 1930-1989.  1990, 269 pp.

Frank Leven Albert Gerbode, Pioneer Cardiovascular Surgeon, 1985, 678 pp.

Claude B. Hutchison, The College of Agriculture, University of California, 1922-1952. 1962, 524 pp.

Hans Jenny, Soil Scientist, Teacher, and Scholar. 1989, 364 pp.

Harald Johnson, Virologist and Naturalist with the Rockefeller Foundation and the California Department of Public Health, 1991, 391 pp.

James B. Kendrick, Jr., From Plant Pathologist to Vice President for Agricultural and Natural Resources, University of California, 1947-1986. 1989, 392 pp.

Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.: Science, Academic Service, Philanthropy, 2011, 345 pp.

Marian E. Koshland, Retrospective, interviews with eight colleagues and family members, 2003

Edwin H. Lennette, Pioneer of Diagnostic Virology with the California Department of Public Health, 1988, 420 pp.

June McCaskill, Herbarium Scientist, University of California, Davis. 1989, 83 pp.  (UC Davis professor)

William C. Reeves, Arbovirologist and Professor, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, 1993, 686 pp.

Reorganization of Biology at UC Berkeley, 1980s-1990s, interviews with Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., Roderic Park, and Louise Taylor, 2003, 128 pp.

Barbara Honeyman Heath Roll, A Woman’s Life in Physical Anthropology, Somatotyping, and New Guinea Kinship Studies, 1994, 366 pp.

Sagehen Creek Field Station
Glenn Flittner, Albert Jones, Richard Gard, Robert Behnke, David and June Taylor, Don Erman, 2004, 150 pp.

Howard Schachman: University of California Professor of Molecular Biology: Discussions of His Research Over His Scientific Career From the 1940s Until 2010, 2010 175 pp.

Howard Schachman: UC Berkeley Professor of Molecular Biology: On the Loyalty Oath Controversy, The Free Speech Movement, and Freedom in Scientific Research. 2007, 182 pp.

Keith Yamamoto [In Progress]

Additional ROHO Oral Histories in Science, Medicine, and Technology

AIDS Epidemic in San Francisco Oral History Project

Chemistry and Physics

Engineering

Kaiser Permanente Oral History Project

Medical Physics

Medicine and Public Health

Ophthalmology Oral Histories

Stem Cell Research

Contact the History of Science and Technology Program, The Bancroft Library, for additional oral histories in science and technology.

Some oral histories may not be available online. Search OskiCat for oral history records and related materials.