Oral history interview with Robert P. Luciano 1999 June 25

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Oral history interview with Robert P. Luciano 1999 June 25

Robert Luciano begins the interview with a brief description of his early years in New York City, New York. Luciano attended New York public schools, and in sixth grade was selected to join a rapid advancement program for gifted children. After graduating from high school, Luciano attended City College of New York, receiving a bachelor's degree in business in 1954. Luciano then entered the Army, serving in the Pentagon. When he returned from military service, Luciano attended law school at the University of Michigan, earning his J.D. in 1958. Luciano returned to New York, where he practiced law for eight years. He accepted a position in Ciba Corporation's General Counsel Department in 1966. Quickly rising through the ranks at Ciba, he moved into the company's business environment. Luciano was Vice President of Marketing when Ciba and Geigy merged, and by 1975, Luciano was President of Ciba-Geigy's pharmaceuticals division. His skills as a manager helped assuage the difficulties between management and research within the company. After a year with American Cyanamid Company, Luciano joined Schering-Plough Corporation in 1978 as the Senior Vice President of Administration. Luciano sought to increase understanding in the pharmaceutical industry that cutting-edge research programs sometimes produce failure and that tolerance for failure was necessary. In the late 1970s, Schering-Plough entered the world of biotechnology, buying 13 percent of Biogen. Soon after, Biogen scientist Charles Weissmann first cloned interferon. Luciano became CEO of Schering-Plough in 1982, the same year that Schering-Plough bought DNAX, another biotechnology company. Luciano concludes the interview with thoughts on research and development at Schering-Plough, his views on government regulation.

Sound recordings ; cassettesTranscript : (28 leaves) ; 29 cm.

Related Entities

There are 10 Entities related to this resource.

Weissmann, Charles

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6s194zx (person)

Schering-Plough corporation

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Biogen, Inc.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k124v2 (corporateBody)

Biogen Idec, Inc.

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Luciano, Robert P., 1933-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6126wg4 (person)

Born in New York City, New York on 9 October 1933. Education: B.B.A., In Business, City College of New York (1954), J.D., University of Michigan (1958). Employment: 1958-1966 Royall Koegel and Rogers [Rogers and Wells], 1966-1977 Ciba-Geigy Corporation, 1977-1978 American Cyanamid Company, 1978-1998 Schering-Plough Corporation. From the description of Oral history interview with Robert P. Luciano 1999 June 25 (Chemical Heritage Foundation). WorldCat record id: 186433152 ...

Chemical Heritage Foundation.

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Slater, Leo Barney, 1963-....

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CIBA-GEIGY Corporation

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CIBA-GEIGY Corporation is a large, diversified chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturer with headquarters in Ardsley, New York. In 1980, CIBA-GEIGY initiated the Exceptional Black Scientist Poster Program to acquaint the general public with the achievements of some black scientists and to encourage minorities to pursue careers in science, medicine and mathematics. CIBA-GEIGY Corporation selected black individuals each year who made significant contributions to their resp...

DNAX Research Institute

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Brock, David C.

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