Paul D. Boyer

American biochemist

Born: July 31, 1918 · Died: June 2, 2018

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Overview

Legacy

in chemistry from Brigham Young University in 1939 and obtained a Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Scholarship for graduate studies.

Who was Paul D. Boyer?

Paul Delos Boyer (July 31, 1918 – June 2, 2018) was an American biochemist, analytical chemist, and a professor of chemistry at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for research on the "enzymatic mechanism underlying the biosynthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)" (ATP synthase) with John E. Walker, making Boyer the first Utah-born Nobel laureate; the remainder of the Prize in that year was awarded to Danish chemist Jens Christian Skou for his discovery of the Na+/K+-ATPase. Boyer was born in Provo, Utah, and grew up in a nonpracticing Mormon family of Dutch, German, French, and English descent. He attended Provo High School, where he was active in student government and the debating team.

Historical significance

He was also his high schools valedictorian and played intramural basketball in high school and college. He received a B.S. in chemistry from Brigham Young University in 1939 and obtained a Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Scholarship for graduate studies.

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Paul D. Boyer.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/paul-d-boyer/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

APA

Paul D. Boyer. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/paul-d-boyer/

Chicago

“Paul D. Boyer.” thisDay. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/paul-d-boyer/.

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