Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging - Time Line

The NIH Record  -- February 8, 1977, Page 1 Dr. Nathan Shock Named NIH Scientist Emeritus

Dr. Nathan W. Shock has been named the 11th Scientist Emeritus of NIH. The appointment was made upon Dr. Shock's retirement as scientific director of the National Institute on Aging at the end of 1976. In his new role, Dr. Shock will consult with NIA scientists on aging research matters and will help analyze Baltimore Longitudinal Study data prior to publication. NIH Photo - Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Shock (r) and Dr. Richard C. Greulich, acting NIA scientific director, admire the portrait recently unveiled at the Gerontology Research Center in Baltimore. The painting commemorates Dr. Shock's 35 years (1941-76) as Center director. Alfred C. Laong, DRS Medical Arts and Photography Branch, was the artist.

Continues Editing Duties

He also will continue to compile and edit "Current Publications in Gerontology and Geriatrics," the listing which appears in each issue of the Journal of Gerontology covering worldwide literature related to aging.

Dr. Shock has been the catalyst in building the NIA Gerontology Research Center from a small two man research unit in 1941 to today's modern facility with more than 150 scientists and supportive staff investigating biomedical and psychological factors involved in the aging process. NIH Director Dr. Donald S. Fredrickson said it best in his congratulatory letter sent to Dr. Shock last fall: " ... In your 35 years of leadership in gerontology at the National Institutes of Health you have exerted a powerful influence and strengthened the commitment of the scientific community to the importance of studies on aging."

Dedication Cited

"The programs you have championed and nurtured have become the scientific core of the new National Institute on Aging. Few of us have expectations of a larger or more tangible monument to a lifetime of dedication."

Dr. Shock is a national and international leader in the field of aging. A charter member of the Gerontological Society, he served as its secretary for 7 years, as well as president; assistant editor or editor of the Journal of Gerontology for nearly 19 years; and as Publications Committee chairman for 5 years. In 1965 he won the Society's first annual award for meritorious contributions to aging research, the coveted Robert W. Kleemeier Award.

Fosters Interest in Aging

As a member of numerous national and state organizations, including the American Heart Association, American Geriatrics Society, American Physiological Society, and American Psychological Association, Dr. Shock has been instrumental in fostering interest in aging studies among non-gerontologists.

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