Editorial pubs.acs.org/ac
2014 ACS National Chemical Historic Landmark Recognizing Kolthoff’s Influence on the Field of Analytical Chemistry
H
ow do you define analytical chemistry? Whether you look to Wikipedia or your favorite undergraduate textbook or to the inclusive definition from our journal, there are many answers. What is certain is that analytical chemistry has evolved into a rigorous and healthy field of research, having been shaped by a number of scientists over the past century. A key figure in establishing analytical chemistry as a scientific discipline was Izaak M. Kolthoff. In the U.S., he is often referred to as the “father” of modern analytical chemistry. His research interests included acid−base equilibria and titrations in aqueous and nonaqueous media, potentiometry, conductometry, polarography, and many, many others. Kolthoff authored a definitive 30-volume treatise on analytical chemistry, as well as nearly 1 000 scientific papers; by the 1980s, more than 1 100 Ph.D. chemists could trace their scientific roots to Kolthoff, and his influence is even greater than these numbers suggest. Why is he called the father of our field? He believed that the fundamentals of physical chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical chemistry applied to analytical chemistry and analytical processes. His motto was: “Theory guides, experiment decides.” Thus, it is appropriate and exciting that the ACS is granting National Historic Chemical Landmark status to Kolthoff at the University of Minnesota (where he was a professor from 1927 to 1962). What is a chemical landmark? ACS grants Landmark status to seminal achievements in the history of the chemical sciences and provides a record of their contributions to chemistry and society in the U.S. I encourage you to browse the National Historic Chemical Landmarks Web site and read about the many achievements that have been recognized with this honor. Kolthoff also played an important role in the history of the ACS, dating back to 1938 when he participated in the founding of the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry and in the launch of Analytical Chemistry, serving on the advisory board during its initial year as a stand-alone publication in 1948. For more information about Kolthoff and his work, it is fun to dig through the editorials and features that have appeared in Analytical Chemistry. You can read about his views on analytical chemistry in the beginning of the last century, a feature by Yu. A. Zolotov on Kolthoff’s impact on analytical chemistry in the former Soviet Union, and a great article on his legacy written by Herbert A. Laitinen and Edward J. Meehan on the occasion of his 90th birthday, among others. The University of Minnesota is organizing a commemoration event on September 12−13, 2014 in honor of this important recognition. In the words of James Lingane “...analytical chemistry has never been served by a more original mind, nor a more prolific pen, than Kolthoff’s.” © 2014 American Chemical Society
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Jonathan V. Sweedler AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
Published: February 13, 2014 2269
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac500529v | Anal. Chem. 2014, 86, 2269−2269
