September 20, 1896-July 23, 1979

BY SIDNEY WEINHOUSE AND JOHN J. FURTH

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY has witnessed the phenomenal growth of medical science, and cancer research in particular has advanced from a field of descriptive anatomy to a flourishing, sophisticated biological discipline, pregnant with insights directed toward understanding and control of one of humankind's misfortunes. One of the leaders who helped to transform cancer research to a true scientific endeavor was Jacob Furth. In a career of fifty-seven years he contributed to diverse fields of cancer biology and experimental pathology. He was responsible for major advances in immunology, leukemia and radiation, and viral carcinogenesis. His pioneering work on hormonal effects in tumor development added new dimensions to our understanding of how tumors proliferate.

Jacob Furth was born in the city of Miscolcz, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1896. His father, Jonas, had seven children, four of whom died as infants. Jacob was the next to the youngest. His mother, Jetti Sussman, died when he was three. His father remarried Roza Farkas, and they had four more children. Roza was a simple woman and a devoted mother to both her children and her stepchildren. Jacob was particularly close to one brother, Lajos, with whom he played soccer and chess. Lajos came to the