Interview Details
| Interview no.: |
0066 |
| Interview Dates: |
February 26, 1987 and June 15, 1987 and September 9, 1987 |
| Location: |
Naval Research Laboratory, |
| Interviewer: |
James J. Bohning and David K. van Keuren |
| No. of pages: |
94 |
| Minutes: |
150 |
Abstract of Interview
Joint interview with Isabella L. Karle.
Abstract is unavailable.
Education
| 1937 |
B.S.,
Chemistry and Biology,
City College of New York |
| 1938 |
M.A.,
Biology,
Harvard University |
| 1944 |
M.S. and Ph.D.,
Physical Chemistry,
University of Michigan |
Professional Experience
University of Chicago
1943 - 1944
Research Associate, Manhattan Project
University of Michigan
1944 - 1946
Researcher, U.S. Navy Project
United States Naval Research Laboratory
1946 - 1958
Head, Electron Diffraction Section
United States Naval Research Laboratory
1958 - 1958
Head, Diffraction Branch
United States Naval Research Laboratory
1958 - 1968
Head, Laboratory for the Structure of Matter
United States Naval Research Laboratory
1968
Chair of Science and Chief Scientist, Laboratory for the Structure of Matter
Honors
| 1950 |
First Treasurer, American Crystallographic Association |
| 1959 |
Research Society of America Award in Pure Science |
| 1961 |
Elected Fellow- American Physical Society |
| 1968 |
Navy Distiguished Civilian Service Award |
| 1970 |
Hillebrand Award of Washington Section of American Chemical Society |
| 1971 |
Vice President of American Crystallographic Association |
| 1972 |
President of American Crystallographic Association |
| 1976 |
Navy Dexter Conrad Association |
| 1976 |
Elected to National Academy of Sciences |
| 1978 |
Member of Executive Committee of International Union of Crystallography |
| 1981 |
President of International Union of Chrystallography |
| 1984 |
Patterson Award of American Crystallographic Association |
| 1984 |
D. Humane Letters, Georgetown University |
| 1985 |
Nobel Prize for Chemistry |
| 1986 |
Honorary Mermber, International Academy of Science |
| 1986 |
Honorary Doctorate, University of Maryland |
| 1986 |
Honorary Doctorate, City University of New York |
| 1986 |
Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement |
| 1986 |
Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award of the Navy League |
| 1986 |
Townsend Harris Award, Alumni Association of City College of New York |
| 1986 |
Secretary of Navy Award for Distinguished Achievement in Science |
| 1986 |
President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service |
| 1986 |
National Library of Medicine Medal |
Table of Contents
Title and Description Page
About the Interviewers
James J. Bohning
James J. Bohning is professor emeritus of chemistry at Wilkes University, where he was a faculty member from 1959 to 1990. He served there as chemistry department chair from 1970 to 1986 and environmental science department chair from 1987 to 1990. Bohning was chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1986; he received the division’s Outstanding Paper Award in 1989 and has presented more than forty papers at national meetings of the society. Bohning was on the advisory committee of the society’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program from its inception in 1992 through 2001 and is currently a consultant to the committee. He developed the oral history program of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and he was the foundation’s director of oral history from 1990 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Bohning was a science writer for the News Service group of the American Chemical Society. He is currently a visiting research scientist and CESAR Fellow at Lehigh University. In May 2005, he received the Joseph Priestley Service Award from the Susquehanna Valley Section of the American Chemical Society.
David K. van Keuren
David van Keuren earned a Ph.D. in history and sociology of science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982, following a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1975) and a bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire (1972). His graduate studies were concentrated on scientific thought in Europe and America from the Middle Ages to the present. In 1986 he joined the staff of the Naval Research Laboratory as its historian, documenting the agency’s significant research and development achievements past and present, and contributing to national awareness of the broad impact of military scientific research on civil society. He died in a hit-and-run bicycle accident on March 26, 2004, in southwest Washington.