He devised the Lowry protein assay, the subject of the most-cited scientific paper in history.
His three brothers and sister all earned graduate degrees in various fields, and Lowry was inspired to emulate his siblings.
He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, for his undergraduate studies, having intended to major in chemical engineering.
[2] After graduating from the University of Chicago with his two doctoral degrees, Lowry failed in his attempt to secure a postdoctoral fellowship.
[2] He was eventually succeeded as department head by Philip Needleman, but Lowry continued to work at Washington University for many years after becoming a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology.