GRC 75th Anniversary - Introduction

Introduction

Timeline

History

Reflections

Facts & Figures

Photo Archive

Memories

About

Introduction1931-19491950-19691970-19891990-2006IntroductionFoundations, Leadership, and GrowthA Distinctive Operating FormulaResults and ImpactConclusionSourcesIntroductionReflections on MatterIllustrations of LifePhysical VisionsThe New GenerationTranscendental GRC PrinciplesLeading the Cutting EdgeFacts & FiguresPhoto ArchiveMemoriesAbout

At the morning coffee break during the Isotopes in Biological and Chemical Sciences Gordon Conference in 1998, 80 percent of the participants did not return. It turns out they were filming a "Baywatch" episode across the street on the beach at Ventura.

- John S. Blanchard

My first child, a son, was born one week prior to my first invited GRC talk - just in time so that I could attend. His name? Gordon, of course.

- Frederick D. Lewis

The GRC certainly helped bring chemists, zoologists, botanists, ecologists, and behaviorists together to better explore the chemical differences of plants and better understand the interactions of plants and herbivores, as well as the relationship patterns between plants and their consumers through evolution.

- Lawrence E. Gilbert

I remember John Partridge reappearing naked after one of Koji Nakanishi's magic tricks at a Natural Products Conference.

- Paul Kropp

In 1999, I was selected to present in the poster session at the Temperature Stress in Plants GRC. It was a really important moment for me because I presented my data in front of many very important, internationally reputed scientists in the field of low temperature stress in plants. Even today I feel proud of this.

- Leon Bravo

The first high resolution X-ray structures of membrane-bound proteins were presented at the Bioenergetics Gordon Conference, which was important in stimulating research in the area. It was able to focus the science on electron and proton transport systems which enabled many important breakthroughs in this area.

- Gary Cecchini

Introduction

Welcome to www.frontiersofscience.org, a web site devoted to preserving the history of the Gordon Research Conferences. To mark the 75th anniversary of GRC in 2006, a commemorative publication titled Reflections from the Frontiers was created in cooperation with the Chemical Heritage Foundation. This web site was established to both archive and supplement the content of this book.

The Gordon Research Conferences have a rich history of 75 years at the frontiers of science. Since 1931, we have held over 5,500 week-long conferences that were attended by over 600,000 scientists.

We invite you to explore this web site, which brings together first-hand accounts of the impact GRC has had on scientists' careers with our analysis of trends over time. If you have attended a GRC, you will recognize the innovative spirit it fosters across a wide range of fields. If you have not been to a Gordon Conference, this site offers the opportunity to learn how we have stayed on the leading edge of scientific frontiers.

This web site is but a first step in our ongoing effort to collect and make known the remarkable stories associated with Gordon Conferences. Attending a GRC often inspires new lines of research, initiates new collaborations, and gives young and seasoned scientists a chance to interact. Help us preserve and make known the GRC story.

For more information on Gordon Research Conferences, please refer to our main web site at www.grc.org!