Ray D. Owen ’37

1986 Distinguished Alumnus Award for Professional Achievement

Although he didn’t drive a covered wagon, Dr. Ray D. Owen ’37 forged new frontiers when he left Wisconsin and headed west. The California Institute of Technology became his “Wild West” where he blazed new trails in science and academia.

Owen specialized in genetics and immunology and became a nationally recognized scientist. His findings helped make organ and bone marrow transplants possible, and his reputation earned him a seat on the first President’s Cancer Panel, where he organized a national effort to find a cure for cancer.  

At the same time, Owen helped implement several major changes at Cal Tech during his 36 years as a teacher and administrator. He joined the faculty in 1947 as associate professor of biology and was promoted to professor six years later. He served as chairman of the division of biology for seven years before he transitioned to administrative roles where he was dean of students and vice president for academic affairs.

Owen graduated from Carroll in 1937 majoring biology. He began working at Cal Tech as a Gosney Fellow and experimented with laboratory rodents, theorizing that certain treatments, such as X-rays, might permit successful organ transplants.  He went on to work with rats exposed with radiation and completed the first successful bone marrow transplants which paved the way for bone marrow transplants in humans.  In addition to serving many scientific and medical organizations such as the American Cancer Society, he was an original member of the President’s Cancer Panel established by the Nixon administration.  He was instrumental in helping to mobilize cancer research nationwide. Amongst other things, their work established several comprehensive cancer centers.

Ray and his wife, June (Weissenberg) Owen ’37, live in Pasadena, Cali. until he passed away in September of 2014.