Robert Saute ’50

When Bob Saute was drafted into the U.S. Army as the Korean War was coming to an end, he was thankful for his pharmacy degree. It helped him get assigned to a post-war medical unit in Japan, where he was placed in charge of the hospital pharmacy and medical laboratory, despite only having the rank of private. It was one of several fortuitous circumstances in a career that eventually earned him a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

A native of West Warwick, R.I., who now lives in Northridge, California, Saute had a highly successful career leading the research and development divisions of Avon Products, Gillette and other companies that manufacture personal care products. Working long hours in the lab, he developed the formulas for hundreds of hair care, skin care and cosmetics products, and he was an early pioneer in the development of sunblocks—long before public concerns were raised about the effects of the sun’s rays on skin.

Along with his wife Arda, he started a consulting firm in 1975 to advise companies on the formulation and manufacture of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. His sons describe him as “generous with his knowledge of pharmaceutical chemistry.” They speak from experience: Saute helped son Richard start Cosmetic Enterprises, a private label manufacturer of health and beauty products. Robert later purchased Zerran International, one of his consulting clients, a company that makes hair care products for professional salons from formulas Saute devised. That company is now managed by Saute’s other son, Steven.

By Todd McLeish

Photo: Courtesy of the Saute family