H. Russell Conrad
Conference Coordinator
Department of Animal Sciences
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
The Ohio State University
Wooster, OH 44691
In honor of Alvin Moxon's ninetieth year of life and his outstanding career, the Department of Animal Sciences and the Department of Preventive Medicine present a national symposium in appreciation of his research. While Al's career included many endeavors, the distinguished work on selenium was his first love. Consequently, many of us were nudged into selenium research by this eminent agricultural chemist.
The symposium provides reports of twelve presenters from the national arena. Six of these scientists were nominated by Dr. Moxon. They are joined by several scientists who worked in the Ohio group with Dr. Moxon. When the symposium is completed, we will have moved in time from the chemistry of "alkali disease" to the modern molecular biology of selenium and vitamin E.
Notably, the disciplines of chemistry, agricultural chemistry, agricultural biochemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology have been part of a continuing investigation of selenium and vitamin E since 1930. Hopefully, the Moxon Lectures will set the stage for continued breadth of these investigations -- first, by focusing research on the important role of selenoproteins and tocopherols for health and growth, and second, by continuing the molecular research on the basic chemical processes that inevitably allows one to make more intelligent decisions.
The development of this symposium has been a far-reaching collaborative effort. The guest lectures got us off on a positive footing. All of them agreed to participate unhesitatingly. Dr. Bobby Moser, Vice President for Agriculture, Dr. Lowell Nault, Interim Director of OARDC and Dr. David Zartman, Chairman of the Department of Animal Sciences, were encouraging. My most expansive and unrelenting help has come from Beverly Fisher, Patricia Watson, Pamela Schoenberger and Barbara Gerard. Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Lynn Willett, Chair of the Research Communications Committee, for arranging the second printing of this proceedings. In particular, I want to thank the coordinating team of Mike Lilburn, Burk Dehority and Francis Fluharty from Animal Sciences; Kent Hoblet and William Ingalls from Preventive Medicine; and Dwight Roseler of Land o'Lakes, Inc. for occasional, but very helpful advice. Last, but not least, my greatest appreciation goes to Joe Hogan for serving as Editor of the Proceedings.