Arthur S. Obermayer

Arthur S. Obermayer was born in Philadelphia. His "four grandparents were all German." His family came from Creglingen. Obermayer graduated from Swarthmore College. He received a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ==Business career==

Obermayer was an entrepreneur. He was the founder and president of the Moleculon Research Corporation, "a chemical, polymer and pharmaceutical research and development company." In his induction speech, Obermayer said, “Next to the G.I. Bill after WWII, the Small Business Innovation Program (SBIR) was one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever passed by Congress.” He noted that his involvement with ACS and the SBIR program were important components of his career path. With 3.2% of the Federal R&D budget in FY 2017, SBIR/STTR has created more than 22% of America's key innovations. He was an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS). ==Philanthropy==

Obermayer co-founded the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards with JewishGen and the Leo Baeck Institute in 2000. He said of the award recipients, "'It's more than curiosity...They're longing for their past:" a missing piece of Germany.'" As one reporter noted, "Sometimes, that curiosity gets them in trouble. A number of Obermayer awardees have faced threats, or simply bewildered loved ones. But over and over, recipients write that the recognition has helped them expand their work, aiding efforts to connect with similarly minded individuals and organizations dedicated to German Jewish history and relations. Many of them also support recent immigrants, hoping that the face-to-face approach their Jewish history celebrates can benefit German-Muslim relations, as well as Muslim-Jewish ones." As Obermayer also noted, "'It’s hard to persecute Muslim immigrants if you know who they are.'" He noted that he had "'zero doubt' that his parents wanted awardees' work for respect and tolerance to influence how Germans see their newest neighbors, too.'" (https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2016/0127/Obermayer-Awards-overcome-silence-with-stories-of-German-Jewish-history) He was also recipient of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2007. ==Personal life and death==

Obermayer had a wife, Judith, and three children. He died of cancer on January 10, 2016, in Dedham, Massachusetts. He was the brother of Herman Obermayer. ==References==