Gehrke's trajectory, from picking melons to analyzing moon rocks
April 4, 2008
By Dianna Borsi O'Brien, Columbia Business Times
At the intersection where science and business meet, Charles W. Gehrke is well known for his work in analytical chemistry, his founding of ABC Laboratories and his analysis of moon rocks for signs of life.
In the university community, Gehrke is known for his 37 years at the University of Missouri as a professor of biochemistry, state chemist and head of the Experimental Station Chemical Laboratories.
But there is another side to the 90-year-old scientist, whose humble upbringing makes those accomplishments seem even more remarkable.
I began working with Charles about a year ago on a book about his life. We meet at his home office, where the desk is two card tables pushed together. At first, he wanted to focus solely on his work and talked about carbon-based compounds, explained how chromatography worked and summarized the recent grant proposal he'd submitted to NASA.
But I was curious about his family. After all, it was his son and daughter who first approached me about writing the biography, citing his professional accomplishments, along with his devotion to his family and his 65-year marriage. They'd also mentioned that his first job as a young boy was picking melons.
When I asked him about his grandchildren, he rattled off the names, ages and birthdates of all nine. Almost every flat surface in his home is filled with photos of his children and grandchildren through the years. Charles also can look at any one of the photos and tell you who is in the picture and when it was taken.
He's just that kind of a guy.