Carl Djerassi

Carl Djerassi was an internationally renowned scientist whose books include the novel Marx, Deceased; his autobiography The Pill, Pygmy Chimps, and Degas’ Horse; as well as essays, poetry, short-story collections, and two plays. A professor of chemistry at Stanford University, he served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and was one of the few American scientists to have been awarded both the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology. He died in 2015.