W. A. “Bill” Skinner came to SRI in 1955 and worked in the organic chemistry group in Physical Sciences for about 5 years. He transferred to the Life Sciences Division and headed a research group on the cancer project under Bill Baker for 2 years, where he got his indoctrination into medicinal chemistry. When Baker left in 1961, the chemists in Life Sciences were split into two groups with Skinner heading the department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. In this position, he made many valuable contacts in Japan that proved very beneficial for him and the department in the coming years.
When Bruce Graham left SRI in 1965, Bill was appointed director of the Life Sciences division, a position that he held until his death in 1987. As Executive Director (later, Vice President) of the Division, he continued many existing programs, expanded some, such as Neurological Sciences, eliminated some, such as Food Sciences, and in general kept the division tuned to the areas of potential profit to the institute. He greatly expanded the scientific interests of the Division, from a focus almost exclusively on cancer treatment to expertise in many diseases. He led the efforts to study the treatment and prevention of malaria and other parasitic diseases, and he fostered the Division’s expansion into research on environmental health problems. During Bill’s 22year tenure, he greatly expanded the Division’s client base to include not only NIH but the US Army, the EPA, and domestic and international companies. This diversity can be seen in the 125 scientific papers and 13 patents Bill published.
Bill was an initiator and a major contributor (with Mas Tanabe, Chozo Mitoma, and Gordon Newell) to the development of a close and profitable (to SRI) working relationship with the Japanese Pharmaceutical industry—a relationship that continues to this day. Over 50 International Fellows, mainly from Japan, worked in life sciences laboratories during this period, and many long-term R&D efforts were begun. The Japanese industry leaders he worked closely with thought so highly of Bill that, just before his death, they were in the process of naming a city street after him in one of the company towns in Japan.
Skinner’s legacy to SRI was a vigorous life sciences enterprise, able to react with changing outside priorities, that was well know in government research agencies and the international pharmaceutical industry.