Philly guy-Merck CEO Ken Frazier to lead PSU trustees' investigation | PhillyPharma | 11/11/2011

Friday morning, we suggested that Merck had a busy week.

But it was still busy Friday afternoon when Philly guy and Merck Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Frazier was named to lead the Penn State board of trustees' investigation of how former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was allegedly sexually assaulting boys over many years, sometimes at Penn State facilities or Penn State football road trips, and university supervisors did little or nothing to stop him.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly announced the charges Saturday, including those of two school officials. The grand jury report is here. Sandusky has denied the charges, as have the two school officials. Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who was not charged, was fired Wednesday night.

Frazier is a Penn State graduate and a member of the board.

Before all that, Frazier was the son of a Philadelphia janitor and Northeast High School graduate. The Inquirer's Chris Hepp wrote a profile of Frazier when he got the CEO job and that story is here.

The Penn State board of trustees statement said Pennsylvania Education Secretary and ex-officio trustee Ron Tomalis will serve as the vice chair of the committee that "will undertake a full and complete investigation of the circumstances that gave rise to the grand jury report. The committee will be commissioned to determine what failures occurred, who is responsible and what measures are necessary to ensure that this never happens again."

Frazier got his law degree at Harvard. He was Merck's legal counsel during his time with the company and led the legal strategy related to the many Vioxx cases.

"Trustee Frazier has agreed to chair this important committee in this endeavor," Steve Garban, board chairman, said in a statement. "He's experienced, seasoned and will provide the leadership necessary to prevail."

The board of trustees statement is here.

via philly.com

Posted via email from Jack's posterous