Question 1

True or false: He was the founder of the modern pharmaceutical company Merck & Co.

Accepted Answer

False. Merck & Co. was founded by his grandfather, Heinrich Emanuel Merck, in 1668. George Merck was the grandson who expanded it globally.

Question 2

True or false: He believed medicine should be developed only for profit, not for the public good.

Accepted Answer

False. Merck famously said, 'We try never to forget that medicine is for the people, not for the profits.' Profits follow, he believed.

Question 3

True or false: During World War II, Merck handed over the company's research on penicillin to the U.S. government.

Accepted Answer

True. He voluntarily shared proprietary penicillin production methods with other companies and the government to meet wartime medical needs.

Question 4

True or false: George Merck was a trained medical doctor, which guided his pharmaceutical decisions.

Accepted Answer

False. He studied chemistry and business, earning a degree from Harvard. He was not a physician, though he deeply respected medical science.

Question 5

True or false: Merck personally funded the development of the first vitamin B12 supplement.

Accepted Answer

False. While Merck & Co. isolated and commercialized B12, it was a team effort led by scientist Karl Folkers, not a personal project of George Merck.

Question 6

True or false: He advocated for free distribution of the drug ivermectin to combat river blindness in developing countries.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1987, Merck committed to donating Mectizan (ivermectin) for as long as needed, a program that continues to save millions from blindness.

Question 7

True or false: George Merck spoke at the trial of Nazi doctors at Nuremberg.

Accepted Answer

True. He testified in 1947 about the use of sulfa drugs, emphasizing ethical research practices and condemning Nazi medical experiments.

Question 8

True or false: George Merck gave away the patent for streptomycin to the University of Alabama.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1945, Merck assigned the streptomycin patent to the university to ensure widespread access to the tuberculosis drug, forgoing millions.

George Merck Trivia Questions