Dr. Charles "Chuck" Harbert (1958)

Charles (Chuck) Harbert graduated class valedictorian in 1958 and was awarded a Gates Foundation scholarship to the University of Colorado. He received his BA there in 1962 and earned his PhD in organic chemistry in 1967 at the University of Missouri. He conducted two years of postdoctoral research at Stanford University before joining Pfizer Central Research in 1969.

At Pfizer, Chuck rose through the ranks to Executive Director of U.S. Medicinal Chemistry and Vice-President of U.S. Exploratory Development. His major achievement was heading the chemistry team that synthesized Zoloft, a leading antidepressant drug. He is an author on over twenty scientific publications and an inventor on over thirty-five patents.

Dr. Harbert has received numerous awards, including the Bausch and Lomb Science Award, a National Defense Education Act graduate fellowship, an NIH postdoctoral fellowship, and the Pfizer Central Research Achievement Award. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Missouri in 1999. In 2006, Chuck and the Zoloft research team were awarded the Team Innovation Award by the American Chemical Society. He is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in America and Who’s Who in Science.

Since retiring to Creede, Colorado, Chuck and his wife Kay have become major supporters of the Creede Repertory Theatre, the Mineral County Health Center, and the Rio Grande County Hospital. He is an active member of the Creede Historical Society.

In recent years, Chuck has developed a keen interest in photographic postcards and Colorado history. He has written three books on these subjects.