Dr. Alfred Burger was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1905 and received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Vienna in 1928. He was employed as a research chemist by the Hoffman-LaRoche Company before coming to the United States in 1929. He became a Research Associate at the Drug Addiction Laboratory of the National Research Council at the University of Virginia where he conducted research on the chemistry of opium alkaloids and the synthesis of morphine substitutes. In 1938, he joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Virginia. He taught organic and medicinal chemistry to over 4,500 students before retiring in 1970. Dr. Burger passed away December 30, 2000 at the age of 95. 

His research activities with a staff of 40 graduate and 33 postdoctoral students included studies on the design and synthesis of analgesic, chemotherapeutic, and antidepressant drugs. One of his synthetic compounds was developed as a widely used clinical antidepressant under the name of tanylcypromine (Parnale). He was Chairman of the UVA Chemistry Department in 1962-63, a visiting professor in biochemistry at the University of Hawaii, and a lecturer at many American and foreign universities and industrial research departments. He was the first to bring female graduate students into the UVA Department of Chemistry.

In the 1950s, professor emeritus Alfred Burger of the University of Virginia defined the principles of medicinal chemistry when he wrote its first-ever textbook, Burger's Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery, now in its sixth edition (2013). Burger also became the first editor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry at its foundation in 1958.

Dr. Burger received the Louis Pasteur Medal of the French Pasteur Institute, the Smissman Award of the American Chemical Society, and the Award in Medicinal Chemistry from the American Pharmaceutical Association. The ACS award in Medicinal Chemistry is named for him. He founded the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in 1958 and served as its editor for 14 years. He also served as editor of Medicinal Chemistry Research and as Chairman of the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry.

Since 1980, the American Chemical Society awards the Alfred Burger Award in Medicinal Chemistry, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, in the amount of $5000 to recognize outstanding contributions to research in medicinal chemistry.

Professor Burger authored over 200 papers and numerous books, including his treatise on Medicinal Chemistry which is now in its sixth edition. His other books include Understanding Medications; Searching, Teaching & Writing-What Fun; Drugs & People; Drugs Affecting the Peripheral Nervous System; and Drugs Affecting the Central Nervous System.

At least seven talks were given by Dr. Burger at Virginia Section meetings. His presentations included:

“Micromolecular Chemistry: - January, 1937, Waynesboro “Some Problems of Chemotherapy” - November, 1940, Richmond “Chemotherapy Since 1940" - May, 1944, Richmond “Medical Chemistry Since the War” - February, 1948, Richmond “Medicinal Chemistry-Today and Tomorrow” - December, 1954, Richmond “Medicinal Chemistry-Its Problems and Hopes” - December, 1961, Richmond “How Do Medications Act and How Are They Discovered?” - March, 1992 - Farmville

Professor Burger played the violin and had a lifelong love of classical music. He was survived by his wife of 65 years, Frances Page Burger, and a daughter.

from - - American Chemistry Society. Virginia News & membership. February, 2001.