IN MEMORIAM

R. David Cole

Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, Emeritus

UC Berkeley

1924–2016

 

Roger David Cole, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) at the University of California, Berkeley, died on Sunday, March 13, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California at the age of 91.

 

Born in Berkeley on November 17, 1924 to Naylor and Frances Cole, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandmother in graduating from Berkeley High School. He spent three years in the U.S. Army Air Corps before attending University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his B.A. in chemistry in 1948 and his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1954, thus generating a life-long passion for his alma mater.

 

After completing his doctorate he joined the Hormone Research Laboratory of University of California, Berkeley for one year. He conducted further postdoctoral research at the Medical Research Institute in London (1955–1956) and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (1956–1958) before joining the Biochemistry Department at Berkeley in 1958. He rose through the ranks, chairing the department from 1968 to 1973, and directing the electron microscopy laboratory from 1978 to 1984. He served on a wide range of committees within the Berkeley campus as well as in a variety of roles in the national scientific context. Key among these were Cole’s service on the editorial board of the International Journal of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and on the board of the Protein Society, in a variety of leadership roles in the American Chemical Society, and as a member of NIH study sections and NSF reviewer. Importantly, his calm influence was felt in a variety of scientific debates where he was able to promote the requisite objectivity in the process.

 

Dave Cole was a dedicated and expert protein biochemist, working on hormones, enzymes, and histones. He began his work on proteins with C. H. Li at Berkeley before and after his doctoral degree, investigating primary structures of prolactin and corticotrophins along with their impacts on cellular function. He investigated the composition of hemoglobin under the direction of future Nobel Laureates William Stein and Stanford Moore, at the Rockefeller Institute in his final postdoctoral period. His initial independent research as a faculty member in Berkeley was focused on trypsin, insulin, and other proteins. Ultimately, histones, which associate with DNA, emerged as the focus of his mid and late career, spanning from the 1960s until his retirement. He was among the first to realize the importance of variation in histones, characterizing the multiplicity of the H1 histone family that we now know is an essential mediator of DNA accessibility. His focus on histones encompassed their structure, capacity to “package” DNA, and nuclear locale.

 

Over the course of his career Cole worked with many different proteins and developed methodologies for structural analysis. A second set of proteins that drew significant attention were those involved in the cytoskeleton and mitotic spindle. In studying both microtubule regulation and histone distribution, he discovered that the cytoskeletal protein, tau, exists in multiple states of phosphorylation, and he identified factors that regulated these states. His interest focused on how protein heterogeneity and turnover related to larger cellular structures and to functional states of the cell.

 

While Cole’s scientific contributions brought him international recognition — including a Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship — along with many invitations to present his work as a leader in his field both domestically and internationally, on the Berkeley campus he was well-known as a dedicated teacher, colleague and friend. His wit and easy manner appealed to students, making biochemistry accessible and interesting in new ways. Always willing to do more than required, he taught a wide range of courses to undergraduate as well as graduate students. His laboratory was always open to undergraduates interested in a research experience, and he was an exceptional mentor to these students and to his graduate and post-doctoral students. His mentoring was thoughtful, interactive, and designed to facilitate developing skills in scientific thinking — answering questions by leading with his own queries. Cole valued his team and let them know it, whether by his daily presence in the lab or a trip to the Sierras to pan for gold.

 

After retiring from the active faculty, Dave stayed on as Assistant Dean in the College of Letters and Science from 1990 to 1992. For his outstanding service, he received the Berkeley Citation. The University of California was not the only institution to benefit from his profound sense of service. He served on Westmont College’s board of trustees for 12 years, and this connection was partly responsible for his move in 1996 to Santa Barbara.

 

Cole’s multitude of professional accomplishments was accompanied by deep generosity with his colleagues and students. He expressed genuine joy in life and had not only a deep sense of humor and an uncanny knack for punning, but also the capacity to discern what was important for each individual and then to guide them in the appropriate directions to fulfill their potential. These features made him an exceptional teacher and mentor.

 

Dave was also devoted to his family. He married his high school sweetheart, Thelma Bennett, in 1944. They were married for 64 years, until her death in 2008. After that loss, his children (David, Miriam, and Janice), eight grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren continued to provide him with pride and delight.

 

Angela N. H. Creager

Kathleen S. Matthews

Jack F. Kirsch