Russell Marker
Encyclopedia
Russell Earl Marker was an American
chemist
who invented the octane rating system when he was working at the Ethyl Corporation
. Later in his career, he went on to found a steroid
industry in Mexico
when he successfully made synthetic progesterone
from chemical constituents found in Mexican yams
in a process
known as Marker degradation
. This eventually led to the development at Syntex
of the combined oral contraceptive pill and synthetic cortisone
.
. He received his B.S. in 1923 from the University of Maryland
and an M.S. in physical chemistry
in 1924 from the same institution.
In 1926, he married Mildred Collins (1899-1985) and worked as an analytical chemist at the Naval Powder Factory in Indian Head, Maryland
. He then began work at the Ethyl Corporation
where he came up with the concept of the octane rating
.
HIn March of 1944 he formed Syntex
. He left the company in May of 1945 to found Botanica-Mex. In 1949 he left Botanica-Mex. He died on March 23, 1995.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who invented the octane rating system when he was working at the Ethyl Corporation
Ethyl Corporation
Ethyl Corporation is a fuel additive company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company is a manufacturer, blender and distributor of fuel additives...
. Later in his career, he went on to found a steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
industry in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
when he successfully made synthetic progesterone
Progesterone
Progesterone also known as P4 is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and embryogenesis of humans and other species...
from chemical constituents found in Mexican yams
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
in a process
Industrial process
Industrial processes are procedures involving chemical or mechanical steps to aid in the manufacture of an item or items, usually carried out on a very large scale. Industrial processes are the key components of heavy industry....
known as Marker degradation
Marker degradation
The Marker degradation is a three-step synthetic route in steroid chemistry developed by American chemist Russell Earl Marker in 1938–40. It is used for the production of cortisone and mammalian sex hormones from plant steroids, and established Mexico as a world center for steroid production in...
. This eventually led to the development at Syntex
Syntex
Laboratorios Syntex SA was a pharmaceutical company formed in Mexico City in 1944 by Russell Marker to manufacture therapeutic steroids from the Mexican yam....
of the combined oral contraceptive pill and synthetic cortisone
Cortisone
Cortisone is a steroid hormone. It is one of the main hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In chemical structure, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally,...
.
Biography
He was born on March 12, 1902 in Hagerstown, MarylandHagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
. He received his B.S. in 1923 from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
and an M.S. in physical chemistry
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
in 1924 from the same institution.
In 1926, he married Mildred Collins (1899-1985) and worked as an analytical chemist at the Naval Powder Factory in Indian Head, Maryland
Indian Head, Maryland
Indian Head is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. It has been the site of a naval base specializing in gun and rocket propellants since 1890. Production of nitrocellulose and smokeless powder began at the Indian Head Powder Factory in 1900...
. He then began work at the Ethyl Corporation
Ethyl Corporation
Ethyl Corporation is a fuel additive company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company is a manufacturer, blender and distributor of fuel additives...
where he came up with the concept of the octane rating
Octane rating
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...
.
HIn March of 1944 he formed Syntex
Syntex
Laboratorios Syntex SA was a pharmaceutical company formed in Mexico City in 1944 by Russell Marker to manufacture therapeutic steroids from the Mexican yam....
. He left the company in May of 1945 to found Botanica-Mex. In 1949 he left Botanica-Mex. He died on March 23, 1995.
Honors
- Mexican Chemical Society at the VI International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Products in Mexico City (1969)
- Chemical Congress of North America (1975)
- Lecture series in astronomy, astrophysics, chemistry, evolutionary biology, genetics, math, and physical sciences are held annually at Penn State in Russell Marker's honor.