Bumps in the road: R. B. Woodward and his years before tenure

R. B. Woodward was the greatest organic chemist of the 20th century. His story is epic. But his years before tenure were with many serious adversities as well as real successes. That Woodward flunked out of MIT as an undergraduate student is well known. But other predicaments in his early life are not so well known nor included in the numerous biographies about him. This paper will describe many of these trials and tribulations, so as to provide a fuller understanding of Woodward's early life and perhaps help explain some of his personal and professional choices later in his life.