The Hirschmann Lectureship was initially established in 1985 by Ralph Hirschmann with funds from a Merck Board of Directors' Scientific Award (a program which honors especially valued scientific leaders within the Merck Pharmaceutical Company) and endowed by generous donations from Professor Ralph Hirschmann.

  Ralph Hirschmann was born in Bavaria in 1922 and came to the United States in 1937. After receiving his baccalaureate degree at Oberlin College in 1943 and serving in the US Army, he began graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, where he received his Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry in 1950 with Bill Johnson. He began his career as a steroid chemist in the research laboratories of Merck, where he eventually became Senior Vice President of Chemistry.

  He is particularly well known for his development of the N-carboxy-anhydride method for coupling peptides, the successful synthesis of ribonuclease in 1969, the design of potent angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and the rational design of somatostatin analogues. Since 1987 his work has focused on generating novel scaffolds to mimic the amide backbone, especially glycosides (to mimic beta-turns) and pyrrolinones to mimic beta-strands, and using catalytic antibodies to generate peptide bonds.

  Ralph Hirschmann's scientific contributions to peptide chemistry and medicinal chemistry have been recognized by many awards including the Alan E. Pierce Award in 1983, the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Award in 1986, the Nichols Medal in 1988, the Gold Medal of Max Bergmann Preis (1993), the Caruthers Award (1994), the Burger Award in 1994, and by his election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1999. Upon his retirement from Merck (1987), Merck Sharp & Dohme established the ACS "Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry" and the Ralph F. Hirschmann Lectureship (marked by the first symposium in his honor) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison to pay lasting tribute to his achievements. He is currently the Makanini Professor of Bio-organic Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.

  Ralph Hirschmann received an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1996, and the occasion was marked by a second symposium to celebrate the occasion.