Jean Wilson from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, who was the editor in chief of the JCI between 1972 and 1977 (Figure 1). Dr. Wilson’s research centered on cholesterol metabolism and steroid hormone action, laid the groundwork for understanding male/female genital development, and led to the first medical therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The full interview can be seen at http://www. jci. org/kiosk/cgm. JCI: Can you tell us about what drove you to seek a career as a physician? Wilson: I don’t remember when I decided to become a physician. My parents were the first generation in their families to attend college, and they were both teachers. When I was 11, I was given a chemistry set for Christmas; chemistry sets in those days were both more fun and more dangerous than they are now. My mother was afraid that I would set the house on fire, so my father built a small laboratory in our backyard where I had marvelous fun with my chemistry set; so I became interested in chemistry very early. Also, one of my elementary school courses had a nature appreciation element, and I set out to make a complete collection of all the wildflowers in Cottle County, Texas. Through this, I became interested in nature studies as well. I also read two books that had a profound influence: one was Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis, which is, I think, the most romantic book about medical research. The second was Albert Schweitzer’s Out of My Life and

Thought, describing his experiences as a medical missionary in the Congo. I came from a religious family and I wavered for many years between wanting to be a great scientist or a savior of mankind in the field. JCI: How did you land at UT Southwestern? Wilson: Financially, the choice was between two schools: the venerable UT Medical Branch at Galveston and the new school–UT Southwestern. I chose Southwestern because its chairman of medicine was Tinsley Harrison. He was one of the most famous physicians in America and had established a phenomenal training program in Dallas. However, between the time I accepted the appointment in February 1955 and the start of classes that September, Harrison resigned to go to the University of Alabama. Fortunately, Don-