PEOPLE
OBITUARIES Donald B. Denney, 82, a professor emeri-
tus of chemistry at Rutgers University, died on Sept. 13 in Highland Park, N.J. Born in Seattle, Denney received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Washington in 1949 and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1952 under the direction of D. S. Noyce. After a year at DuPont, Denney spent a postdoctoral year at Yale University working with William von E. Doering. He then accepted an instructorship at Yale that lasted from 1954 to 1955, after which he joined the faculty of Rutgers University as an assistant professor. He became professor there in 1962 and retired as professor emeritus in 1996. Denney’s research focused on mechanisms of organic reactions and phosphorus chemistry. He was an early exponent of the use of isotopic tracers, which he elegantly exploited to elucidate chemical reaction pathways. He also pioneered the use of 31P magnetic resonance techniques to reveal the structures and mechanistic details of reactions involving hypervalent organophosphorus systems. Denney’s work resulted in 150 scientific publications. He was an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow from 1955 to 1959 and a member of the National Institutes of Health Committee on Medicinal Chemistry. Denny was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1950. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, who was a coinvestigator and coauthor on numerous joint publications. Ruth Kirschstein, 82, a long-time adminis-
trator at the National Institutes of Health, died on Oct. 6 in Bethesda, Md. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Kirschstein earned a bachelor’s degree from Long Island University in 1947 and an M.D. from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1951. From 1957 to 1972, she worked as a researcher in experimental pathology at the Division of Biologics Standards (now the Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research at the Food & Drug Administration). In that role, she developed tests to ensure the safety of viral vaccines such as those for polio, measles, and rubella. In 1974, she became the first woman to direct an NIH institute, the National Insti-
tute of General Medical Sciences, a post she held until 1993. She became director of the newly established NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health in 1990. Kirschstein was an acting director of NIH in 1993 and again from 2000 to 2002, serving as principal deputy director of NIH in the interim. She served as a senior adviser to the director from 2002 until the time of her death. Kirschstein is survived by her husband, Alan Rabson, and son, Arnold Rabson. Joseph L. O’Brien, 81, a retired industrial
research chemist, died at his home in Haddonfield, N.J. on Sept. 18 of complications from dementia. Born in Los Angeles, O’Brien worked as a child actor—actually serving as Shirley Temple’s body double in two scenes in the classic 1937 movie “Heidi.” He later earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame in 1948 and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from California Institute of Technology in 1952. O’Brien joined the Rohm and Haas research division in 1951, holding various positions including laboratory head and research supervisor. His work resulted in more than 30 patents and publications in the areas of exploratory organic synthesis, functional monomers, plasticizers for PVC, and flame-retardant plastics. He joined C. P. Hall in Chicago in 1978 as its associate director of research, managing research and process development of polymeric plasticizers for PVC. He retired as director of R&D in 1992. He was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1949. O’Brien is survived by his wife of 12 years, Margaret; a son, Connell; daughters Frances Leon, Mary, Aislinn, and Christina Jelen; five stepchildren; nine grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren. His wife of 35 years, Anne, died in 1991. David F. Pickett Jr., 73, a Harvest, Ala.,
physical chemist and aerospace batteries consultant, died of cancer on July 24. Born in Benjamin, Texas, Pickett served in the Navy from 1956 to 1961. He then earned a B.S. in chemistry in 1962, an M.A. in chemistry in 1965, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1970—all from the University of Texas, Austin. He began his career at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio, working in the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory. While there, he invented and patented the alcohol electrochemical impregnation process for the manufacture of nickel-
WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
49
NOVEMBER 9, 2009
plated rechargeable alkaline batteries. Pickett joined Hughes Aircraft’s Space & Communications Group in 1978, allowing him to integrate the alcohol electrochemical impregnation process into a Ni-H2 battery product there. At Hughes, he became manager of the battery product area and helped establish the company’s cell and battery manufacturing facility in Torrance, Calif. After leaving Hughes, Pickett became a consultant to battery developers and users. During his 30-year career, Pickett’s patented work contributed to the development of several satellite and shuttle batteries used in the U.S. space program. Pickett received the S. D. Heron Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in the Advancement of Aerospace Battery Technology in 1974. Pickett was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1966. He was also a member of the Electrochemical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics. Pickett was an avid fisherman and a diehard supporter of his alma mater, UT Austin. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, B. Christine. William E. Sweeney Jr., 85, a retired Texas
Eastman chemist, died on June 22 in Big Sandy, Texas. Born in Johnson City, Tenn., Sweeney served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army during World War II. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry from the University of Kentucky. He joined Tennessee Eastman Co. in 1950, transferred to Texas Eastman Co. in 1954, and retired in June 1996 as director of planning, services, and quality programs within the company’s research and development division. Sweeney was a lifetime member of Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity and an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1950. Sweeney is survived by two daughters, Kim and Elaine; one son, Earl; and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois. SUSAN J. AINSWORTH writes Obituaries.
Obituary notices may be sent to s_ainsworth@ acs.org and should include a detailed educational and professional history.
