Four Wives, One Nobel Prize and Lots of Paprika

Humankind has long suffered from a lack of understanding of basic nutrition. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that Albert Szent-Györgyi discovered the chemical ascorbic acid—also known as vitamin C—that enables the body to efficiently use carbohydrates, fats, and protein.

Albert Szent-Györgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 for his discoveries in connection with the biological combustion processes, with special reference to vitamin C and the catalysis of fumaric acid. He was a professor at the Szeged University of Sciences between 1928 and 1945, and lived in the United States from 1947.

Szent-Györgyi and Szeged

Born to an old Transylvanian family that already included three generations of scientists, Szent-Györgyi was interested in science from an early age. He enrolled at the University of Budapest, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I and he was sent first to the Russian, then to the Italian front. Fervently anti-war throughout his life, Szent-Györgyi wounded himself to escape combat and returned to the university to finish his studies in 1917. (He was reputed to have said that he was overcome with such a mad desire to return to science that one day he grabbed his revolver and in his despair put a shot through his upper arm.) Eventually, the young Szent-Györgyi received a medical degree, studying at various European universities. He began his scientific career by studying the chemical changes that occur when cells utilize foodstuffs, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, a process sometimes known as biological combustion. When the post of Head of the Institute of Physiology at the University of Szeged became vacant, Kunó Klebelsberg, the Hungarian Minister of Education and Religion asked Szent-Györgyi to take the position.

Unusual approach

The always smiling professor with his English pipe found his way into peoples’ hearts immediately. Besides educational and research activities, he took an active part in civil life through his love of sports (he loved to play tennis), and his educational reform proposals; and from the ‘40s, through his political activity. After his arrival in Szeged, teaching, research and organizational work at the university determined his work. His intellectual and work capacity, along with his physical appearance immediately made a deep impression on his colleagues. His behavior and informal relationship with his students, which was against the spirit of the age, caused a general uproar, though. “When he was appointed to the institute, according to traditions, he had to visit all his professor colleagues in their homes. Albert and his family traveled by bicycle. This kind of behavior wouldn’t appear as unusual on the Tennis Court Road of Cambridge but in Hungary it was unacceptable.” Szent-Györgyi’s easiness not only in his behavior, but his opinion about science and education also represented a new tendency. He opposed the emphasis on theoretical training and rather focused on practical training.

C6H8O6

During his research, Szent-Györgyi isolated a molecule from adrenal glands that lost and regained hydrogen atoms. This ‘hydrogen carrier’, containing six carbon atoms, had the properties of a sugar and an acid. Szent-Györgyi christened it ‘hexuronic acid’. He then proved that hexuronic acid is identical to vitamin C and that it could be extracted in kilogram quantities from paprika. There are numerous “legends” how and why Szent-Györgyi’s attention turned to paprika while doing his research, but it is a fact that he put aside all his other work and started to investigate paprika in the fall of 1932. Paprika was produced in great quantity and excellent quality around Szeged. Both the inhabitants and the scientific community of Szeged were convinced of the beneficial effect of paprika on health. The discovery of the ‘hidden treasure’ of paprika, however, was due to Szent-Györgyi’s research. Under the supervision of the University, the cannery of Szeged produced canned paprika which was named Vitapric.

The Prize

On October 28, 1937 Szent-Györgyi received a telegram, which informed him that he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discoveries in biological oxidation, with special regard to vitamin C and fumaric acid catalyzation. A huge celebration started in Hungary. Students were marching to the professor’s home in Szeged with gipsy musicians and Chinese lanterns. Addressing those celebrating him the next day, he said, “The present appreciation is not about only one person, it is about the university which encouraged me, about friends, who made my work possible, and about that huge ideal community, which aims at getting to know the unknowable and serves the mother country together in a peaceful cultural war.” The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony took place according to tradition in the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm, on December 10, 1937. A deeply touched Szent-Györgyi received the prize from the Swedish King while the Hungarian Rákóczi March was being played. In an interview on Swedish Radio, following the protocol meetings the next day, he emphasized that in the age of hatred and anxious political situation only the force of understanding, the spirit of peaceful agreements, the respect between nations must prevail. He believed that this could be reached, since hatred is not the collective character of human beings, it only exists in certain souls. “Science knows no boundaries and can only work this way,” he said. His views never changed. When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1940, Szent-Györgyi offered his Nobel Prize medal (206 g, 23 carat gold) to help the Finnish people. A Finnish businessman bought the medal. The money remained at the Finnish Legation, the Nobel Prize medal was donated to the Hungarian National Museum, and it is still there. Albert Szent-Györgyi did not know about it. He died believing that his Nobel Prize medal was lost.

Political Career

As the government of Gyula Gömbös and the associated Hungarian National Defense Association gained control of politics in Hungary, Szent-Györgyi helped his Jewish friends escape from the country. During World War II, he joined the Hungarian resistance movement. Although Hungary was allied with the Axis Powers, the Hungarian PM Miklós Kállay sent Szent-Györgyi to Cairo in 1944 under the guise of a scientific lecture to begin secret negotiations with the Allies. The Germans learned of this plot, and Adolf Hitler himself issued a warrant for the arrest of Szent-Györgyi. He escaped house arrest and spent 1944 to 1945 as a fugitive from the Gestapo. After the war, Szent-Györgyi was a public figure and there was some speculation that he might become President of Hungary, should the Soviets permit it. Szent-Györgyi established a laboratory at the University of Budapest and became head of the biochemistry department there. He was elected as an MP and helped re-establish the Academy of Sciences. Dissatisfied with the Communist rule of Hungary, he emigrated to the United States in 1947. From 1948 until his death, he worked in the United States at Woods Hole, Massachusetts where he was also involved in cancer research.

DID YOU KNOW?

- On January 7, 1978, Szent-Györgyi was one of the members of the American delegation to escort the Hungarian Royal Crown back to Hungary.

- Szent-Györgyi’s mother, Jozefina prepared to become an opera singer and auditioned for Gustav Mahler, then a conductor at the Budapest Opera. He advised her to marry instead, since her voice was not enough. Albert himself was good at the piano, while his brother, Pál became a professional violinist.

- As an extravagant person, Szent-Györgyi bought a motorcycle in 1934 in order to cross Europe and get to Scotland riding 6,000 km.

- Szent-Györgyi married four times, first to Cornelia Demény, mother of their daughter ‘Little Nelli’, then after their divorce, he wed Márta Borbíró Miskolczy Szent-Györgyi who died of cancer. In the age of 72, he married June Susan Wichterman; they were divorced in 1968. His fourth wife was Marcia Houston, they adopted a daughter, Lola Von Szent-Györgyi.