Yoshimasa Hirata (1915-2000)

Organic chemist and natural product chemist.
Emeritus Professor at Nagoya University.
Renowned as an educator, with many famous researchers having emerged from his tutelage.

経歴
1941
Graduated from the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo (Assistant Professor Benno B. Müller)
1941
Entered the Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo
1943-1944
Assistant at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo
1944 Jan.-May
Lecturer at the Faculty of Science, Nagoya Imperial University
1944 Jun.-1953
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science, Nagoya Imperial University
1952-1953
Visiting Researcher (Professor Lewis F. Feiser) at Harvard University
1954-1979
Professor at Nagoya University
1961-1965
Councilor at Nagoya University
1965-1966
Dean of Students at Nagoya University
1977-1978
Vice President of the Chemical Society of Japan
1979-1988
Professor at Meijo University
1980-1995
Councilor of Tetrahedron and Tetrahedron Letters
Mar. 5, 2000
Passed away (84 years old)
Awards and Honors
1941
Chunichi Cultural Award
1965
Asahi Prize, Chemical Society of Japan Award
1977
Japan Academy Prize (Fujihara Award) for “Research on Trace Natural Organic Compounds”
1987
Order of the Sacred Treasure, Second Class
1990
Cultural Merit Award
1996
Special Award of the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan
2000
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon; promoted to Fourth Rank of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun
Principal Research Topics and Achievements

・Separation and structural determination of extremely trace substances with physiological effects in natural products.
・Structural determination of compounds such as tetrodotoxin.