Joseph Holland Burchenal (December 21, 1912 – March 8, 2006) was an American oncologist, and a winner of the 1972 Albert Lasker Award for Medical Research for his work on developing a chemotherapy for Burkitt's lymphoma.[1] His research with George Hitchings and Gertrude Elion led to the creation of the leukemia treatment mercaptopurine.[1] [2] He worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and was a member of the presidential panel that initiated the U.S. federal government's War on Cancer.[3] Burchenal died in Hanover, New Hampshire on March 8, 2006. He was 93 years old.[4]