The Biology Department is proud to host the Francis O. Schmitt Lecture in honor of Dr. Schmitt who was a Professor of Biology, and held the position of Head of the Department from 1942-1955. When Dr. Schmitt assumed the Head, the Department included just a handful of faculty. Under his leadership, Biology was developed into a major Department at MIT. He also ran his lab’s research program, in the biochemistry and biophysics of nerves, and in neurosciences, over the same period.

Dr. Schmitt was appointed Institute Professor in 1955, a distinguished academic post awarded by MIT which recognizes outstanding achievement. He provided leadership to a number of scientific organizations, including serving on the boards of both MGH and McLean Hospital. He also founded the Neurosciences Research Program in 1962, which gave a focus through conferences and publications to research in the neurosciences throughout the world.

Dr. Schmitt died on October 3, 1995, at the age of 91.

Previous Schmitt Lecturers:

Fall 2007: Dr. Alex Schier, Harvard University

Spring 2007: Dr. Hugo Bellen, Baylor College of Medicine

Spring 2006: Dr. Liqun Luo, Stanford University

Fall 2004: Dr. Charles Weitz, Harvard Medical School

Spring 2004: Dr. Eric Kandel, Columbia

Fall 2003: Dr Catherine Dulac, Harvard

Fall 2002: Dr. David Julius, UCSF

2000-2001: Dr. Susan L. Lindquist, Whitehead Institute

1999-2000: Dr. Rod MacKinnon, Rockefeller University

to the Biology Colloquium page

Dr. Francis O. Schmitt
photo from American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA