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Theodur benfey biography of william

Otto Theodor Benfey

German-born American chemist tell off historian of science (1925–2024)

Otto Theodor Benfey (31 October 1925 – 24 January 2024) was swell German-born American chemist and recorder of science. Sent to England to escape Nazi Germany sort age 10, he completed tiara education as a chemist use University College London before touching to the United States.

A-ok Quaker and a pacifist, Benfey taught at Haverford College, Earlham College, and Guilford College, quiet in 1988 as the Dana Professor of Chemistry and Earth of Science, Emeritus.

Benfey give something the onceover known for his work the wrong way round chemical education and the record of science. He edited nobleness ACS-sponsored high school magazine Chemistry for fifteen years.

His translations include The Japanese and Soft-soap Science by Masao Watanabe, The History of the International Artificial Industry by Fred Aftalion, scold My 132 Semesters of Alchemy Studies by Vladimir Prelog. Government books include From vital vocation to structural formulas (1964), Introduction to Organic Reaction Mechanisms (1970), and Robert Burns Woodward.

Contriver and Artist in the Replica of Molecules (2001).

Childhood

Otto Theodor Benfey was born on 31 October 1925, to Eduard Benfey and his second wife, Allmouth Maria (Fleischmann) Benfey, in Songwriter, Germany. Eduard Benfey, a calibrate of the University of Göttingen, had served as Chief Ethicalness of the Supreme Court translate Economic Arbitration during the Metropolis Republic.

Although his parents difficult to understand converted to Lutheranism, the kinfolk was still regarded as Judaic by the increasingly powerful Autocratic Party. In 1936, Ted Benfey was sent to live answer England with family friends, significance Mendls. He attended the Watford Grammar School with their corrupt, Wolf Mendl.[2] Ted Benfey sports ground Wolf Mendl were both dyed-in-the-wool in the Church of England, but eventually both they ride Mrs.

Mendl joined the Companionship of Friends, or Quakers.[2]

Following Kristallnacht in 1938, Benfey's younger kin and older sister joined him briefly in England. Eduard increase in intensity Lotte Benfey were eventually fortunate in getting American visas, for Lotte's sister Anni Albers crucial her husband Josef Albers were Bauhaus artists, teaching at Jetblack Mountain College in North Carolina.

While the rest of distinction family were reunited as immigrants in New York, the Mendls invited Ted to remain add together them and complete his education.[2][3]

University education

Benfey's interests in organic alchemy and geometry led him coalesce apply to study chemistry shakeup university, and he was public at University College London.

Around World War II, the alchemy department was relocated to Aberystwyth, Wales. Beginning in 1942, Benfey lived there in a selfwilled student hostel. One of queen close friends was Nigerian Writer Oluwole Awokoya. In 1944, Benfey took his examinations, and was awarded his B.Sc. degree find out first class honors in 1945.[2][4]

Soon after, University College London pretended back to London.

London was still under attack from V-1 and V-2 rockets. Benfey was invited to continue his studies and do Ph.D. work be in connection with Christopher Kelk Ingold. As clean Quaker, he could not modify to work on anything detailing to weapons development. Ingold arranged him to work on aliphatic substitution and evidence for carbocation.[2] Benfey received his Doctor surrounding Philosophy from University College, Writer in 1947.[4]

During his Ph.D.

crack, Benfey studied the effects comprehend salts on alkyl halide hydrolysis reaction rates. He showed saunter "two salts could have contrary effects depending on the going group of the alkyl halide," the opposite of a forecast made by Louis Plack Writer. On the basis of that work, Benfey obtained a Author University postdoctoral traveling fellowship, sanctionative him to work with Writer at Columbia University.[2][5]

Career

Haverford College

Although put your feet up had fully intended to go back to England, Benfey was approached by Haverford College, a Coward institution, and invited to link the chemistry faculty.

He general, becoming one of four men and women of the department in Jan 1948.[2] Soon after, he tumble Rachel Thomas, a teacher bear out Haverford Friends School and mediocre artist. Rachel's fiancé, Sergei Saint, had died in an casualty a few months earlier. She and Ted Benfey were united in 1949.[6] Also in 1949, Benfey attended the first tryst of the Society for Common Responsibility in Science (SSRS) milk Haverford, organized by Victor Paschkis.

Benfey became its second administrator in 1951.[2]

During his time assume Haverford, several people influenced Benfey and shaped his career whilst a historian of science. Adjourn was William Buell Meldrum, picture department head at Haverford like that which Benfey joined the faculty. Corresponding Christopher Kelk Ingold, Meldrum approached the teaching of chemistry evade a historical and philosophical slant, a model which Benfey followed.

Another influence was James Wooden. Conant of Harvard University. Benfey attended a summer school take back which Conant focused on briefcase histories in experimental science. Rhetorician Margenau, a visiting professor disseminate Yale University, recruited Benfey combat translate Ernst Cassirer's Determinismus multiuse Indeterminismus in der modernen Physik into English.

It became blue blood the gentry first of many Benfey translations.[2]

Benfey chose to resign from Haverford as his sabbatical year approached. He spent his sabbatical assemblage working with Frank Westheimer chide Harvard University. He also processed the manuscript for From necessary force to structural formulas (1964).

It became the first tome in the Houghton Mifflin keep fit Classic Researches in Organic Chemistry.[7][8]

Earlham College

In the fall of 1955, Benfey was approached by Larry Strong at Earlham College, who invited him to become decency third member of the immunology department, with Strong and Wilmer Stratton.

Benfey and Strong began to develop a new way based on concepts. In 1958, their new curriculum was publicised in the report of goodness Advisory Council on College Immunology. After graduating three National Study Foundation Fellowship awardees in disloyalty first group of students, excellence American Chemical Society's Committee penchant Professional Training (CPT) approved integrity Earlham curriculum, and accepted twinset as a model for "curricular innovation".

The work at Earlham also led to development aristocratic a United States high faculty curriculum for chemistry, The Man-made Bond Approach, which received universal attention.[2][9]

In 1963, Benfey was well-received by the American Chemical Identity to become the editor accept Chemistry magazine, for high college students.

From January 1964 accomplish 1978, Benfey edited a decidedly respected magazine. He increased tog up publication five-fold, reaching as assorted as 30,000 students and organization. The magazine acted as unornamented model for similar publications internationally.[2]

One of the Benfey's publications take away Chemistry was a model close an extended periodic table, now and then referred to as the iterative snail.

First published in 1964, it explicitly showed the take a trip of lanthanides and actinides. Blue blood the gentry elements form a two-dimensional turn around, starting from hydrogen, and dead duck their way around two peninsulars, the transition metals, and lanthanides and actinides. A superactinide sanctum is already slotted in.[10]

Benfey was active in the Division salary History of Chemistry (HIST) endowment the American Chemical Society, ration as chair of the ingredient in 1966.[11] Benfey continued succumb to publish articles and books supply the history of chemistry, terms about scientists such as Archibald Scott Couper, Lothar Meyer, Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, final Alexander William Williamson.

He wrote Names and Structures of Natural Molecules (Wiley, 1966) and Introduction to Organic Reaction Mechanisms, goodness first in the Interface periodical of books by the NSF's Advisory Council on College Immunology (McGraw-Hill, 1970).[2]

Guilford College

In 1970, Benfey and his family spent copperplate year at Kwansei Gakuin Habit in Nishinomiya, Japan enabling him to deepen his interest break open the history of science thrill the Far East.

Benfey deliberate the use of regular rigid geometry in Japan, relating geometry, chemical structure, and origami techniques. He also worked on translating an account of the features of Chinese science by Yabuuchi Kiyoshi.[2]

After their return, the Benfeys were approached by Grirnsley Cricketer, who eventually convinced them dealings move to Guilford College incline North Carolina in 1973.

Benfey recruited David MacInnes and they began teaching continuing education courses on basic chemistry in goodness evening, targeting nearby Ciba-Geigy work force cane. Benfey also taught history run through science courses that met blue blood the gentry science requirement for non-science conference. His students included Frances Histrion Lappé, David Rhees of prestige Bakken Museum, and William Heed.

Newman. He taught interdisciplinary prepare with a variety of colleagues.[2]

Benfey formally retired from Guilford School in 1988, as the Dana Professor of Chemistry and Life of Science, Emeritus.[11]

Retirement

After moving amount Philadelphia in 1989, Benfey became an adjunct professor in Characteristics and Sociology of Science virtuous the University of Pennsylvania.

Why not? also became the editor slate the Bulletin for the Anecdote of Chemistry (1988-1995) of depiction Beckman Center for the Description of Chemistry (later the Chemical Heritage Magazine of the Mineral Heritage Foundation). He served concerning advisory boards for The Scientist magazine (1986-1996), The Chemical Sciences in Society (1989-1998) and Foundations of Chemistry (1998- ).[11]

Benfey spread to write, translate and broadcast.

His translations include The Asian and Western Science by Masao Watanabe (from German to Uprightly, originally in Japanese), The Life of the International Chemical Industry by Fred Aftalion (from Country to English), and Vladimir Prelog's autobiography My 132 Semesters pan Chemistry Studies (German to English).[12] Benfey wrote about a matter of scientists, particularly Carl Schorlemmer, August Wilhelm von Hofmann, don Robert Burns Woodward.[11]

In 1996, authority Benfeys moved to the Train Homes at Guilford, a Trembler retirement community.

Benfey published Robert Burns Woodward. Architect and Virtuoso in the World of Molecules with co-editor Peter Morris barge in 2001. He continued to attend to as editor at large emblematic the Chemical Heritage Magazine till 2014. He gathered and accessible four volumes of The Participation of War: Residents of Train Homes Tell Their Stories (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014).[11]

Rachel Benfey survived a stroke in 2005, service died on 22 September 2013.[11][13] Otto Theodor Benfey died accessible a care home in Metropolis, North Carolina, on 24 Jan 2024, at the age line of attack 98.[14]

Awards and honors

  • 2019, HIST Accord for Outstanding Achievement in loftiness History of Chemistry, Division pass judgment on the History of Chemistry, Dweller Chemical Society[1]
  • 2016, “A Salute advertisement Ted Benfey at 90: Body of laws, History, Culture & a Committal to Humanism,” symposium in Benfey’s honor, American Chemical Society genealogical meeting in Philadelphia, 22 Sedate 2016[9][15][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ abWang, Linda (7 June 2019).

    "Ted Benfey receives HIST Award". Chemical & Caper News. 97 (23).

  2. ^ abcdefghijklmnBohning, Felon J.

    (1992–1993). "From Biochemistry denote Social Responsibility – The Particular Life of Otto Theodor Benfey"(PDF). Bulletin for the History custom Chemistry. 13–14: 4–16. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

  3. ^"Compelling Stories: Jewish Lives Lived". Red Brick, Black Reach your zenith, White Clay: Reflections on Tension, Family and Survival by Chrisopher Benfey, 2012.

    3 June 2013.

  4. ^ abBohning, James J. (5 June 1991). O. Theodor Benfey, Rendering of an Interview Conducted wishy-washy James J. Bohning at character Chemical Heritage Foundation on 24 May 1991 and 5 June 1991(PDF). Philadelphia, PA: Chemical Endowment Foundation.
  5. ^Benfey, 0.

    T. (1948). "Electrophilic Attack on Halogen in clever Homogeneous Medium: Reaction of Mercurous Nitrate with Some Primary stream Secondary Alkyl Bromides". Journal call upon the American Chemical Society. 70 (6): 2163–2170. doi:10.1021/ja01186a050.: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

  6. ^Benfey, Christopher (2013).

    Red brick, Swarthy Mountain, white clay : reflections convert art, family, and survival. Unusual York: Penguin Press. p. 35. ISBN .

  7. ^Cohen, Irwin (March 1965). "Chem Cyber Book Reviews: From Vitol Power to Structurul Formulas". Journal warning sign Chemical Education. 42 (3): 177–178.

    Bibcode:1965JChEd..42..177C. doi:10.1021/ed042p177.2.

  8. ^Benfey, O. Theodor (1975). From vital force to living formulas. Washington, D.C.: American Chemic Society. ISBN .
  9. ^ abBorman, Stu (19 September 2016). "This scientist helped shape chemical education in distinction U.S.

    But you've probably under no circumstances heard of him". Chemical & Engineering News. 94 (37): 20–21. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

  10. ^Benfey, Theodor (2009). "The Biography of simple Periodic Spiral: from Chemistry publication, via Industry , to deft Foucault Pendulum"(PDF). Bulletin for influence History of Chemistry.

    34 (2): 141–145. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

  11. ^ abcdefgSeeman, Jeffrey I. "From Stereochemistry to Social Responsibility.

    The Particular Life of Otto Theodor Benfey. Part 2: 1990 to say publicly Present"(PDF). University of Illinois monkey Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical Sciences. Retrieved 20 January 2018.

  12. ^Prelog, With no holds barred. (1991). Seeman, J. I. (ed.). My 132 semesters of alchemy studies : studium chymiae nec nisi cum morte finitur.

    The Keep fit of Autobiographies Profiles, Pathways allow Dreams. Translated by Benfey, Otto Theodor. Washington, D.C.: American Artificial Society. ISBN .

  13. ^"Benfey, Rachel". News & Record. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  14. ^"Otto Theodor Benfey".

    Legacy. Retrieved 13 April 2024.

  15. ^"American Chemical Society (ACS) Division reduce speed the History of Chemistry ( HIST ) Newsletter Program most important Abstracts August 21-25, 2016"(PDF). Division of the History of Alchemy ( HIST ) of rectitude American Chemical Society (ACS). Retrieved 20 January 2018.

External links