Harry Stephen Margolius

Dr. Harry S. Margolius, 74, husband of Francine R. Margolius of Mt. Pleasant, SC, passed away on Sunday, June 17, 2012. The relatives and friends of Dr. Harry Margolius are invited to attend his Funeral Service at the Thomas P. Mooney Funeral Home followed by a brief graveside prayer at the Nassau Schodack Cemetery, Nassau, NY on Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 at 1pm. Local arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Mount Pleasant, SC. New York arrangements by Thomas P. Mooney Funeral Home of Nassau, NY. Family and friends are invited to attend a gathering in celebration of Dr. Margolius life at the family home, 206 Molasses Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC, on Friday evening, June 22nd, 2012 at 6:00pm. Dr. Margolius was born on January 29, 1938 in Albany, New York, son of the late Irving Margolius and Betty Zweig Margolius. He was Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Margolius was Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine at MUSC, where he served with distinction for more than 30 years. A native of upstate New York, Dr. Margolius earned an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy (1959) from the Albany College of Pharmacy and a doctoral degree in Pharmacology (1963) from Albany Medical College of Union University. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine in 1968. He served his internship and residency in Internal Medicine on the IInd and IVth (Harvard) Medical Services of the Boston City Hospital. Dr. Margolius was a pharmacology Research Associate and subsequently, Senior Clinical Investigator at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH until 1974. During that time, Dr. Margolius discovered abnormalities in the kallikrein-kinin system in humans and animals with high blood pressure. This enzyme-hormone system is known to lower blood pressure and promote salt excretion. It appears to function less well in hypertensives and in children who may subsequently develop high blood pressure, mankinds most common disease. His continuing discoveries have brought him international recognition, enriching our environment with graduate students, post-doctoral scientists and physicians from around the world, who have been taught and trained in his laboratories. Many have gone on to distinguished careers of their own throughout the United States, South America, Europe and Japan. Dr. Margolius has authored more than 130 journal articles, 15 chapters in textbooks, and two books. Among his many honors is the prestigious Burroughs Wellcome Scholar Award in Clinical Pharmacology, as well as more than 100 visiting professorships and plenary addresses and lectureships at medical schools, research institutes and international scientific meetings. He received the DSF/SC Academy of Science Award for Contributions to Science in South Carolina in 1988. Dr. Margolius has served on study sections and national advisory committees for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Veterans Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration, and as a consultant to several Pharmaceutical Companies, the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, and the Center for International leadership. He had an active research collaboration with scientists at the University of Cambridge, England, where he was a Visiting Scholar in 1980-1981. He was appointed to the National Board of Medical Examiners in 1986, and as Chairman of the Pharmacology Test Committee, guiding the assessment of drug knowledge for all candidates for the medical licensure in the United States. An external advisory committee to the Medical University of South Carolina state that Dr. Margolius is truly outstanding and a national search would not yield a more qualified candidate than Dr. Margolius, nor one who would be more welcomed by members of the Department and Institution. His global contributions in the field of medicine were accentuated by diverse pursuits outside of Science. These included a lifelong passion for the outdoors inspired by a childhood spent on Lake George, NY, British automobiles (initiated by a certain Austin Healey 3000), the game of golf, the skill of ham radio, classical music, reading (often 3 or more books at a time!), and writing. These prolific interests were capped by Dr. Margolius most intrinsic talent: limitless love and generosity for his family, friends, and life. His family, and most notably his unendingly loyal wife, Francine, were able to reciprocate those character traits through Dr. Margolius prolonged battle with Picks Disease. He is lovingly survived by his wife, Dr. Francine R. Margolius of Mt. Pleasant, SC, his daughter, Elizabeth A. Margolius and her husband, Neil, of Chicago, IL, his son, Craig M. Margolius and his wife, Melissa, of Nashville, TN; one brother, Judge Richard V. Margolius of Miami, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), 55 Kenosia Avenue, Danbury, CT, 06810. Please indicate an acknowledgment for restricted research in Picks Disease in memory of Dr. Harry S. Margolius.