Dr. Charles Leighton was Senior Vice President of Administration, Planning and Science Policy at Merck & Co., Inc. for nearly three decades. He passed away on June 1st of 1993. Dr. Leighton joined Merck & Co., in 1965, as a Harvard MD graduate who was interested in employing his medical background to help a far larger number of patients than that possible in medical practice. He distinguished himself through his leadership and vision, and his gift for galvanizing and harmonizing scientists, company management, and government officials behind a common goal - delivering breakthrough medicines and vaccines to the people who need them around the world. Charles' longstanding and exceptional contributions have helped make Merck the company it is today -- a company with an unprecedented track record of innovation - discovering and developing more new medicines than any other research organization in the world.