Dr. P. Roy Vagelos is Retired Chairman and CEO of Merck & Co., Inc. He received an AB in 1950 from the University of Pennsylvania and an MD in 1954 from Columbia University. Following a residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the National Institute of Health where from 1956-66 he served as Senior Surgeon and then Section Head of Comparative Biochemistry. In 1966 he became Chairman, Department of Biological Chemistry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and in 1973 founded the University’s Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. He joined Merck Research Laboratories in 1975 where he was president until 1985 when he became CEO and later Chairman of the company. He retired in 1994.
Dr. Vagelos is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He has received many awards in science and business as well as 14 honorary doctorates. In the past he was Chairman of the Board of the University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Business Council and The Business Roundtable, and served on the boards of TRW, McDonnell Douglas, Estee Lauder and Prudential Finance. He also served as Co-chairman of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and President and CEO of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
He is currently Chairman of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Theravance, two biotech companies. He is also Chairman of the Board of Visitors at Columbia University Medical Center where he also chairs the Capital Campaign. He serves on a number of public policy and advisory boards, including the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the Danforth Foundation.