A Hero of Peace Salt Lake Tribune March 14 1955 Sir Alexander Fleming was one of mankinds greatest benefactors. His discovery of penicillin saved thousands of lives and opened up a whole new field of medical science. His death last week will be widely mourned for he was a hero of peace whose achievement outshines those of the great military commanders and statesmen of an era of war. Sir Alexander himself described the discovery of penicillin as pure luck. A chance growth of mold on a bacteria culture plate during another experiment apparently killed the bacteria. Further tests showed that the mold growing liquid was effective even when diluted 800 times and that it did not damage blood corpuscles. This was in 1928. Ten years later two other researchers produced penicillin in the crystalline form which has made it one of the most potent drugs ever perfected. The original clue may have been provided by luck, but it took genius and hard, tedious work to bring about the final result. The world honored Fleming. The British government made him a knight. He received the Nobel Prize for medicine. Many universities, including Utah in 1954, conferred honorary degrees upon him. But he remained a modest, dedicated scientist who never made a profit from his great discovery. Gifts from admirers were used to further his work. The story of Sir Alexander Fleming will be remembered and cherished. It is a simple story, easy to understand, of a humble man who opened a new door for his fellow men. For this we give thanks.