Eric Wieschaus found that out last September after he delivered the annual Emil T. Hofman Lecture.
Now a professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, Wieschaus earned a bachelor's degree in biology from ND in 1969. He was awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research into how genes control development in embryos.
One of Wieschaus's professors during his undergraduate days was Hofman, professor emeritus of chemistry and dean emeritus of the Freshman Year of Studies. After Wieschaus' lecture, Hofman revealed to the audience in DeBartolo Hall that Wieschaus had missed an A in the second semester of Hofman's brutal general chemistry course by 1/100th of a point. "I had standards in my course, and you just did not meet that cutoff," he said to the Nobel Laureate.
"At least I passed," Wieschaus sheepishly replied.
Noting that a lesser student might have become discouraged and "turned to accounting or law," Hofman then announced that he had decided to accept Wieschaus's lecture "as having met the standard." He handed the molecular biologist a packet of "official documents," including an updated transcript.
"For you other former students of mine who are now dreaming of grade changes," the good professor cautioned, "I will consider a change if you missed the cutoff by no more than 1/100th of a point, and I will authorize it the day you get your Nobel Prize."