61 Nobel Laureates in Science Endorse Obama

A group of 61 Nobel Laureates have gotten together to endorse Barack Obama for President. Their letter and the signatories are below. This is the largest number of Nobel Laureates to ever endorse a candidate for office, more than endorsed either Gore or Kerry. (Kerry had 48 total.) That is a remarkable statement. Here is the link to the original letter of endorsement.

An Open Letter to the American People

This year’s presidential election is among the most significant in our nation’s history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.

We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting him.

During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country’s scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support.  The government’s scientific advisory process has been distorted by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. We have lost time critical for the development of new ways to provide energy, treat disease, reverse climate change, strengthen our security, and improve our economy.

We have watched Senator Obama’s approach to these issues with admiration. We especially applaud his emphasis during the campaign on the power of science and technology to enhance our nation’s competitiveness. In particular, we support the measures he plans to take – through new initiatives in education and training, expanded research funding, an unbiased process for obtaining scientific advice, and an appropriate balance of basic and applied research – to meet the nation’s and the world’s most urgent needs.

Senator Obama understands that Presidential leadership and federal investments in science and technology are crucial elements in successful governance of the world’s leading country. We hope you will join us as we work together to ensure his election in November.

Signed,

Alexei Abrikosov	Physics	2003		Roger Guillemin	Medicine	1977
Peter Agre	Chemistry	2003		John L. Hall	Physics	2005
Sidney Altman	Chemistry	1989		Leland H. Hartwell	Medicine	2001
Philip W. Anderson	Physics	1977		Dudley Herschbach	Chemistry	1986
Richard Axel	Medicine	2004		Roald Hoffmann	Chemistry	1981
David Baltimore	Medicine	1975		H. Robert Horvitz	Medicine	2002
Baruj Benacerraf	Medicine	1980		Louis Ignarro	Medicine	1998
Paul Berg	Chemistry	1980		Eric R. Kandel	Medicine	2000
J. Michael Bishop	Medicine	1989		Walter Kohn	Chemistry	1998
N. Bloembergen	Physics	1981		Roger Kornberg	Chemistry	2006
Michael S. Brown	Medicine	1985		Leon M. Lederman	Physics	1988
Linda B. Buck	Medicine	2004		Craig C. Mello	Medicine	2006
Mario R. Capecchi	Medicine	2007		Marshall Nirenberg	Medicine	1968
Stanley Cohen	Medicine	1986		Douglas D. Osheroff	Physics	1996
Leon Cooper	Physics	1972		Stanley B. Prusiner	Medicine	1997
James W. Cronin	Physics	1980		Norman F. Ramsey	Physics	1989
Robert F. Curl	Chemistry	1996		Robert Richardson	Physics	1996
Johann Diesenhofer	Chemistry	1988		Burton Richter	Physics	1976
John B. Fenn	Chemistry	2002		Sherwood Rowland	Chemistry	1995
Edmond H. Fischer	Medicine	1992		Oliver Smithies	Medicine	2007
Val Fitch	Physics	1980		Richard R Schrock	Chemistry	2005
Jerome I. Friedman	Physics	1990		Joseph H. Taylor Jr.	Physics	1993
Riccardo Giacconi	Physics	2002		E. Donnall Thomas	Medicine	1990
Walter Gilbert	Chemistry	1980		Charles H. Townes	Physics	1964
Alfred G. Gilman	Medicine	1994		Daniel C.Tsui	Physics	1998
Donald A. Glaser	Physics	1960		Harold Varmus	Medicine	1989
Sheldon L. Glashow	Physics	1979		James D. Watson	Medicine	1962
Joseph Goldstein	Medicine	1985		Eric Wieschaus	Medicine	1995
Paul Greengard	Medicine	2000		Frank Wilczek	Physics	2004
David Gross	Physics	2004		Robert W. Wilson	Physics	1978
Robert H. Grubbs	Chemistry	2005

The views expressed in this letter represent those of the signers acting as individual citizens.  They do not necessarily represent the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated. The Medicine award is for “Physiology or Medicine.”