Dr. Werner Henle

New York Times, July 8, 1987:

DR. WERNER HENLE, VIROLOGICAL PIONEER IN CANCER RESEARCH

Dr. Werner Henle, a noted virologist who with his wife identified the first virus associated with cancers in humans, died of cancer Monday at the Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He was 76 years old and lived in Philadelphia.

In the late 1960's, Dr. Henle and his wife and longtime research partner, Dr. Gertrude Henle, established a link between the Epstein-Barr virus, infectious mononucleosis and Burkitt's lymphoma, a cancer common in parts of Africa.

This discovery earned them, in 1979, the second annual Bristol-Meyers Award for distinguished achievement in cancer research. The prestigious award carried a cash prize of $25,000.

The couple also cooperated with Dr. Joseph Stokes Jr. in the original work that showed the effectiveness of gamma globulin against infectious hepatitis. Numerous Awards

The Henles also demonstrated the effectiveness of influenza inoculations and developed a rapid diagnostic test of mumps as well as an evaluation of a vaccine against mumps.

Their accomplishments as a research team earned them more than a dozen other awards from organizations in West Germany, France, Switzerland and the United States.

At the time of his death, Dr. Henle was emeritus director of the Virus Diagnostic Laboratory of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He and his wife, who survives him, were associated with the hospital and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for more than 45 years.

They retired from the university faculty in 1982 but continued their research at the hospital until a few months ago. The couple wrote extensively about their work in the fields of virology, immunology and viral oncology, contributing more than 385 articles to scientific journals. German Emigrant

Werner Henle was born Aug. 27, 1910, in Dortmund, Germany, the son of a surgeon and grandson of Jacob Henle, a famous anatomist-histologist. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Heidelberg. He came to the United States in 1936, joining the University of Pennsylvania staff that year and the Children's Hospital staff three years later.

Dr. Henle met his wife, whose maiden name was Szpingier, at Heidelberg. The Henles, who had no children, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in March.