Dr. Edwin D. Becker 3 May 1930 – 4 August 2025
It was with tremendous sadness that we received the message that Edwin D. (Ted) Becker passed away August 4th, shortly after his 95th birthday. With his passing, IUPAC has lost a most passionate supporter, who played a crucial role on several occasions in the history of the Union.
Dr. Becker was Secretary General of IUPAC from 1996 through 2003, a service he carried out with integrity, good judgment, and a willingness to help when need be. All these virtues were instrumental on many occasions, in particular when he was in charge of moving the Secretariat from Oxford to RTP, North Carolina, and when he overlooked the transformation of the Union operation from a commission-driven to a project-driven system. He was also a driving force when IUPAC started the development of the International Chemical Identifier (InChI) for chemical substances. And at outset of the collaboration with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), his diplomatic skills surfaced on several occasions and contributed to move the process forward.
After Ted stepped down as Secretary General, he did not leave the Union behind but remained an active and reliable volunteer that was always interested and willing to listen and give advice. His departure therefore leaves a tremendous void, but also great memories that will remain an inspiration.
Rest in peace.
> Tribute from ISMAR, written by Drs. Ad Bax and Robert Tycko