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In 1928, Rettew went into business with Joseph Strode, a friend who owned a meatpacking company. With Strode's capital and Rettew's chemistry expertise, they co-founded
Chester County Mushroom Laboratories and pioneered the sterile production of mushroom spawn, within three years becoming the largest
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to separate the constituents of these cultures. The US government received his first shipment of penicillin in June 1943. By
November, Rettew's plant in West Chester was producing 32,000 penicillin cultures daily—more than any other maker in the world. He became Wyeth's director of penicillin
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supplier in the United States. As the business flourished, Rettew published a guide to mushroom culture, patented a special wide-mouthed jar to cultivate spawn, and pioneered the freezing and canning of mushrooms in consultation with
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production, ramping up production in facilities worldwide. His methods are credited with saving the lives of tens of thousands of wounded
American and Allied troops during World War II. To commemorate Rettew's achievements, the
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Pharmaceuticals in late 1943) to pursue large-scale penicillin production using his fungiculture expertise. With his assistant, Charles
Heathcote of the
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in London. As the war loomed and the need for penicillin to treat Allied troops became clear, Rettew and Strode partnered with
Reichel Laboratories of
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In 1942, Rettew learned about the healing properties of penicillin, a substance from
Penicillum mold and discovered in 1928 by
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faculty, Rettew invented a technique of blending banana oil with penicillin cultures and using a
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326:"Made in West Chester: The History of Industry in West Chester, Pennsylvania, 1867 to 1945"
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to parents
Granville L. and Jane (Liggett) Rettew. He studied chemistry at the
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erected a state historical marker in West
Chester on September 17, 2002.
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Rettew, Granville
Raymond (1974). Robinson, Mary E. G. (ed.).
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Rettew, Granville
Raymond; Thompson, Forrest Grant (1948).
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Pioneering mass production of pencillin during World War II
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Pennsylvania state historical marker memorializing Rettew
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American chemist and penicillin manufacturer (1903–1973)
236:. West Chester, PA: Chester County Historical Society.
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home. His wife, Helen (Divine) Rettew, survived him.
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332:. West Chester, PA: Taggart Printing: 1–104.
255:. Toughkenamon, PA: Mushroom Supply Company.
208:Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
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117:(April 19, 1903 – June 24, 1973), known as
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234:"A Quiet Man from West Chester": Memoirs
389:"Pennsylvania Historical Marker Search"
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451:People from West Chester, Pennsylvania
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218:Rettew died on June 24, 1973, at his
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358:"Wyeth Lab President Dies at 70"
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366:. 1973-06-25. p. 12.
252:Manual of Mushroom Culture
43:West Chester, Pennsylvania
466:Swarthmore College alumni
190:(Reichel was acquired by
137:Early life and education
23:Granville Raymond Rettew
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147:University of Delaware
74:University of Delaware
324:Jones, James (2003).
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170:Penicillin production
87:Chemist, manufacturer
220:Pocono Lake Preserve
157:Mushroom cultivation
149:and transferred to
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291:"The Mushroom Man"
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151:Swarthmore College
78:Swarthmore College
184:Alexander Fleming
164:Clarence Birdseye
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403:. Retrieved
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56:(1973-06-24)
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269:References
131:penicillin
35:1903-04-19
70:Education
399:Archived
368:Archived
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200:Sharples
92:Employer
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257:OCLC
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51:Died
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29:Born
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