For Elwood Jensen, a pioneer in endocrinology and cancer research, age has never been an issue when it comes to serving humanity. After retiring from the University of Chicago at age 70, Jensen served as visiting professor at Cornell Medical School, University of Hamburg, Karolinska Institute and National Institutes of Health. Now, at age 83, he occupies the Strauss Chair for Cancer Research at the University of Cincinnati.

Jensen has collaborated with such esteemed scientists as Charles Huggins, Paul Talalay and Albert Lehninger. In 1951, this foursome founded the Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research at Chicago, which he directed from 1969-82. Internationally recognized, Jensen revolutionized the concepts of steroid hormone action by identifying the intracellular receptor through which estrogens exert their effects.

This discovery had major clinical importance for breast cancer. He showed that only the 30 percent of tumors that contain higher receptor levels respond to such hormonal manipulation as removing the ovaries or adrenal glands, or, more recently, administration of antiestrogens. This finding allows most breast cancer patients to be spared ineffective treatment and placed earlier on chemotherapy.

On Sept. 17, the Wittenberg community had the opportunity to learn about Jensen’s research during his Wittenberg Series- sponsored IBM Endowed Lecture. He also spent four days on campus reminiscing about his college years, including meeting his late wife, Mary ’38, through Professor of Chemistry John Barker. As president of his class, Jensen also recalled coordinating the Senior Ball, where the band from Cincinnati featured a young vocalist named Doris von Kappelhoff.

“Only at our 10th reunion did we learn that, by then, she had become Doris Day,” Jensen said.

Now remarried, Jensen plans to retire some day to Switzerland, where, in 1947, he climbed the Matterhorn, the most difficult physical challenge of his life. For now, though, the clinical need addressed by his seminal cancer studies takes precedent.