William Joseph Whelan. 14 November 1924—5 June 2021

William Whelan was an exceptionally celebrated scientist recognized equally for his work in research, education, publishing and international scientific organizations. He studied organic chemistry at the University of Birmingham. He taught at the University College of North Wales and the University of London and became head of the Department of Biochemistry of the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, University of London, in 1964. In 1967 he moved to the United States and served as professor and chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Miami Medical School for the rest of his career. Bill is known for his pioneering research on the structure of starch and glycogen. He discovered that glycogen contained the protein glycogenin, an enzyme with primer function in the synthesis of glycogen. This discovery filled a crucial gap in understanding the biosynthetic process that transforms glucose into glycogen. Bill's contributions, including his innovative methods for isolating and characterizing molecular structures like glycogen, have since become established scientific practices, and he established some of the fundamental concepts and nomenclature used in the carbohydrate field today.