People: George H. Morrison (1921-2004) - Analytical Chemistry (ACS

People: George H. Morrison (1921-2004). H.D. Abruña. Anal. Chem. , 2004, 76 (15), pp 265 A–265 A. DOI: 10.1021/ac041609b. Publication Date (Web): A...
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PEOPLE sponsored his fellowship. Seppe Kuehn of Cornell University (John Marohn) works toward the realization of detecting magnetic resonance from a single proton by detecting magnetic resonance as a force. This work aims to implement a “molecular microscope” that could determine the 3-D structure of a single copy of a large biomolecule. The Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh sponsored his fellowship. Mark Poggi of Georgia Tech (Lawrence Bottomley) uses a novel force spectroscopic technique to evaluate the interfacial and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. The Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh sponsored his fellowship. Zachary Schultz of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (Andrew Gewirth) studies the behavior of adsorbate molecules relevant to corrosion and deposition processes at the electro-

Arnold Orville Beckman (1900–2004)

COURTESY OF JERRY GALLWAS

Arnold O. Beckman, credited with launching the electronic revolution in chemistry, died on May 18 at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Calif. He was 104 years old. His invention and commercialization of the pH meter in 1934 introduced electronic measurement into the chemical sciences and revolutionized the study of chemistry and biology. Beckman was born in the small Midwestern town of Cullom, Ill. His first job was in his father’s blacksmith shop shooing flies off the horses and later putting steel tires on wooden wagon wheels. Following 264 A

chemical interface by using in situ IR–vis sum frequency generation spectroscopy. The Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh sponsored his fellowship. Zhanping Zhang of the University of Delaware (Thomas Beebe) uses atomic force microscopy and other surfacesensitive spectroscopies to study of the interactions between ligands and nervecell receptors. She is trying to better understand the factors that modulate the extension of neurons for nerve-regeneration applications. Eastman Chemical Co. sponsored her fellowship.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2005–2006 ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry (DAC) Graduate Fellowships. These fellowships are available to full-time graduate students working toward a doctorate in analytical chemistry.

Applicants must be nominated by their graduate thesis advisors and must have completed their second year of graduate studies by the time their fellowships begin. The applicant’s thesis advisor must be a member of the DAC, and only one nomination per advisor will be accepted. In addition to the application forms, applicants must submit three letters of recommendation and copies of their undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Detailed information about the DAC Graduate Fellowship Program and the application process can be found on the program homepage (www.wabash.edu/ acsgraduatefellowship/home.htm). Application forms may be downloaded from this website or may be obtained by contacting Richard F. Dallinger at Wabash College (765-361-6242; fax 765-3616149; [email protected] [preferred]). Completed application packages for the 2005–2006 fellowships must be submitted by December 10, 2004.

high school graduation in 1918, he joined the U.S. Marines. Later, inspired by a chemistry text he found in the attic at age nine, he went on to earn B.S. (chemical engineering) and M.A. (physical chemistry) degrees at the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. (photochemistry) at Caltech. During 1924–1926, Beckman worked at Western Electric under Walter A. Shewhart on statistical quality control, gaining exposure to cutting-edge circuit and vacuum tube design. The experience opened his eyes to the potential of electronic measurement. He joined the Caltech faculty in 1928 and became well known for his innovative teaching, research, and problemsolving skills. In 1934, a friend brought him the problem of determining the pH in citrus products dosed with sulfur dioxide. Beckman replaced the fragile electrode and benchtop apparatus with a rugged glass electrode and two-stage electronic amplifier packaged in a small metal box. A few weeks later, the friend

returned and asked for a second acidimeter, because the first was always in use. The rest is history. The pH meter was recognized as an ACS National Historic Chemical Landmark in March 2004. By 1939, Beckman had produced more than 2000 units and reluctantly left Caltech to run the business full time. He realized that electronic amplification could be used in other chemical applications and produced the first commercial UV–vis spectrophotometer in 1941, the famous Beckman DU. Thousands of applications were developed on the DU, including vitamin A measurements, detection of organic contaminants in ground water, and the first complete chemical analysis of DNA—the basis of Chargaff ’s rules. The outbreak of World War II created demand for synthetic rubber, which required the rapid analysis of C4 isomers in hydrocarbon mixtures for production of butadiene. Beckman teamed with Shell Development to create the first commercial IR spectrophotometer, the Beckman

Applications for 2005–2006 DAC Graduate Fellowships

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George H. Morrison (1921–2004) George H. Morrison died peacefully in his sleep on June 11 in Delray Beach, Fla., and was laid to rest in Ithaca, N.Y. He was 83 years old. George was immediate past Editor of Analytical Chemistry, serving this publication with distinction from 1980 to 1990. George was born on August 24, 1921, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He received a B.S. from Brooklyn College in 1942 and was drafted into military service soon afterward. He was assigned to work on the chemical purification of uranium for the Manhattan Project, an effort that led to an outstanding commendation from the U.S. Army for his contributions to the successful conclusion of World War II. George earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1948 under the direction of N. H. Furman. There, he met many of the individuals who, like himself, would lead and define analytical chemistry for decades. George was an internationally recognized authority in the field of trace element analytical chemistry and materials characterization. He was a leader in the development of modern physical methods, including ion microscopy, solids MS, neutron activation analysis, and atomic spectroscopy, and their application to important solid-state, cosmochemical, biological, and medical problems. He was one of a very select group of analytical chemists who made important contributions to both classical wet chemical methods of analysis and modern instrumental methods. During his 10 years as head of inorganic and analytical chemistry at GTE Laboratories, he made great contributions to methods for the characterization of semiconductor materials, which advanced the development of solidstate devices. During this time, and toCOURTESY OF H. D. ABRUÑA

IR 1 in 1942. In only two years, the commercial availability of UV and IR spectrophotometers became reality. In 1943, he teamed with Linus Pauling to create the first commercial oxygen analyzer. Beckman O2 analyzers found their way into hospital nurseries and process plants, and they monitored the atmosphere of the Nautilus on the first voyage under the North Pole in 1958. During the 1950s, the Beckman business expanded through acquisition of high technology companies, the most well known of which was SPINCO, manufacturer of the Model E Analytical Ultra Centrifuge and subsequently amino acid analyzers, sequencers, and synthesizers. In 1955, the hundred-thousandth pH meter was delivered, and his success was featured on the cover of Business Week magazine. He went on to develop a global business, Beckman Instruments (now Beckman Coulter, Inc.). By 1977, the Beckmans formed the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation to support basic research in chemistry and the life sciences. During the 1980s, they funded the establishment of research institutes at several universities across the United States, as well as a variety of other projects, including the western headquarters of the National Academies of Science and Engineering. Arnold Beckman’s contributions to the world have been widely recognized with numerous awards, most recently the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame. He received both the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology. Beckman was a man of integrity and humor with the keen sense to recognize good science as an opportunity. His legacy touches all of us—in science, medicine, and industry—the very economics of our daily lives. It lives on in the philanthropy of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, and it all began in 1934 with his revolutionary tool, the pH meter. a —Jerry Gallwas, board member of the Beckman Foundation and manager at Beckman Instruments/Beckman Coulter

gether with James Cosgrove, he developed neutron activation analysis, which became one of the most effective tools for the non-destructive determination of trace elements. In 1957, he coauthored Solvent Extraction in Analytical Chemistry with Henry Freiser, which was translated into more than a dozen languages and became the primary reference book in the field for decades. George joined the faculty of Cornell University in 1961 as a professor of chemistry and director of the Material Science Center Analytical Facility, where he continued his research in trace analysis. He received the ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry in 1971 for performing the most complete and detailed analysis of the Apollo Lunar samples. George also received numerous awards for his scholarly achievements, including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1974–1975), the Eastern Analytical Symposium Award (1986), and the Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award (1990). As editor of Analytical Chemistry, George not only maintained and enhanced the leadership position of the journal but also advanced the stature of the field worldwide. The last decades of his research career focused on biomedicine, and his analytical innovations led to new concepts in the cell biology of calcium and in boron, fluorine, and isotopically labeled therapeutic anticancer agents. As a scholar and mentor, George trained generations of analytical chemists who went on to most successful careers in academic, industrial, and government labs. To his students and research group members, he was unfailingly loyal and generous with his time. As a colleague, George was gracious and generous. We, as his former colleagues, students, and members of the wider community of chemists, mourn his departure, but celebrate his contributions. His dignity, good humor, and wise counsel on matters beyond the world of ions and molecules will be deeply missed. a —H. D. Abruña and colleagues at Cornell University

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