Dr. Hirzy earned both his honors undergraduate and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Missouri.
In 1962 he joined the Organic Research Department of Monsanto Chemical Co. and there developed several commercially successful products, receiving 9 U.S. patents. He later transferred to the Environmental Management team in Monsanto's Plasticizer Business group in 1978.
In 1981 he was hired as Senior Scientist-Risk Assessment by the Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, USEPA Headquarters. Bill was an organizer and charter member of the professionals labor union at United States EPA Headquarters, serving many terms as president and in other offices of the union's Executive Board.
Along with Robert J. Carton PhD, who also was a charter member and union president, they developed and fought management to establish EPA's Principles of Scientific Integrity. Dr. Carton led the union's activities challenging EPA's lack of integrity regarding fluoride toxicity assessment until 1992, when he retired from the Agency and passed that role onto Dr. Hirzy. Dr. Hirzy took over that role as 'watchdog' until his retirement in 2008.
Professor Hirzy has taught chemistry for nearly 30 years including the last 11 years at American University in Washington D.C., part of that time while employed by our EPA. Professor Hirzy taught chemistry and environmental risk assessment as a full time faculty member up until 2013, when he retired from teaching. Today Dr. Hirzy is committed to helping educate people about the substantial harm to human health that ingested fluorides are causing.