Our profession has suffered a great loss today, and everyone here at AUTM—the Board and staff, are mourning one of technology transfer's most well-known and beloved icons, Howard Bremer. While this news is heartbreaking, we should focus on Howard's stunning accomplishments during his 53-year career in technology transfer and the tremendous legacy with which he leaves us.
There is very little that I can say that would do justice to Howard's impact on the technology transfer profession and AUTM. He began his career working on well-known and enduring products including a few very famous detergents and toothpastes that many of us use every day. He helped evolve and grow one of the most successful tech transfer programs in the United States—the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and, most importantly—working with Joseph Allen and the late Norman Latker—he helped create the Bayh-Dole Act itself.
Howard was a true pioneer, and he was with AUTM from the beginning, serving as the President of the Society of University Patent Administrators (SUPA) in 1978 (SUPA changed its name to AUTM in the late 1980s). While building a career the likes of which most of us could only aspire to, and while raising a family with his wife Caryl, Howard still found copious time to serve as an AUTM volunteer and mentor—impacting countless AUTM programs and members over the years. Howard always welcomed new members into the profession, freely sharing advice and wisdom. Howard's impact on those just entering the technology transfer profession was so profound that AUTM established a scholarship in his name nearly a decade ago. To-date, 50 Howard Bremer Scholars have walked across the stage at the AUTM Annual Meeting to shake Howard's hand and accept their scholarship awards.
In fact, many of you probably had a chance to meet Howard at an AUTM Annual Meeting, since he only missed one Annual Meeting during his entire career. This year we were thrilled to honor Howard by bestowing upon him the AUTM President's Award. In true Howard style, his acceptance speech had little to do with himself, and everything to do with his love for this profession and our association. If you weren't there to hear him give his acceptance speech, or if you'd just like to enjoy it again, you can find his
remarks on the AUTM website.
AUTM has created a
memorial page on the website, where you can learn more about Howard's legacy. If you would like to add your photos or personal stories to this memorial page, please send them to Jodi Talley, AUTM Director of Communications at
jtalley@autm.net.
I want to thank those of you who took the time visit with Howard or to send along your notes and well wishes to him during his final days. The outpouring of support meant the world to him.
Sincerely,
Sean Flanigan
AUTM President