James Allen Olson (1924–2000)1,2

At Mahidol University, he directed research in the chemical synthesis of vitamin A analogs and in their metabolism, as well as studying the physiological and biochemical effects of vitamin A deficiency and toxicity, and he began studies in assessment of human vitamin A status, initially by measuring liver concentrations in autopsy specimens. At Iowa State University he continued research in the chemistry and metabolism of vitamin A, directing studies on the chemical synthesis and biological metabolism of retinoyl- and retinyl-beta-glucuronides, and on the enzymatic steps involved in retinyl ester formation and hydrolysis and the physiology of liver storage of vitamin A.\n Among his more challenging experiences was service in the mid-1980s on the expert review panel of the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences to determine the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI) for vitamins A, C, and K; he and a number of the other panel members remained convinced that true requirements (and hence recommendations for dietary intake) for these nutrients are lower than those that were officially set.