Nelson D. Goldberg was born on 22 June 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his B.S. from the University of Toledo in 1953 and his Ph.D. in 1963 from the University of Wisconsin. He joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1964. During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Goldberg was an instructor (1964-1965), assistant professor (1965-1968), associate professor (1968-1972) and professor (1972-1986) of pharmacology; professor of pathology (1973-1999) and professor of biochemistry (1987-1999). Dr. Goldberg was known around the world for his discovery of cyclic GMP, a cell messenger within the human body. His research led to the development of new areas of biochemical study, including the development of the drug Viagra. He retired from the University in May of 1999 as professor emeritus. Nelson Goldberg died on 19 December 1999.
From the guide to the Nelson D. Goldberg papers, 1960s-1990s, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])