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Interview no.: 0061
Date of interview: 17 and 18 November 1986
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
No. of pages: 60
Interviewer:
Raymond C. Ferguson
Minutes: 210
Access level: Free Access. Users may view, quote from, cite, or reproduce the oral history with the permission of CHF. Users citing interviews for purposes of publication are obliged under the terms of the CHF Oral History Program to notify CHF of publication and credit CHF using the following format: [Name of interviewee], interview by [name of interviewer] at [interview location], [interview date] (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History Transcript # [interview number]).
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E. Bright Wilson, Jr. begins the interview with a description of his parents, childhood, and early education. He then discusses his undergraduate and graduate studies at Princeton University, where he was inspired by the intellectual atmosphere and affable faculty. After reviewing the curriculum, his senior thesis on quantum mechanics, and his experience at Tuxedo Park, he recalls his years at the California Institute of Technology, where he began work with vibration and group theory. Next, he describes his work at Harvard, focusing on advances in spectroscopy, and his government research at Woods Hole and in Washington, D.C. Wilson concludes with a brief profile of his family and a few remarks on his publications.
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Page No. |
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Family and Childhood
Elementary school in Yonkers. High school at Riverdale and Lawrenceville schools. Interest in science begins with chemistry sets and books. |
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1 |
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Princeton University
Thrilled by intellectual atmosphere. Work on New York subway line digging project. Chemistry curriculum. Research in electrochemistry. Senior thesis on quantum mechanics. Spends some time at Loomis' laboratory in Tuxedo Park. Faculty. |
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5 |
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California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Goes to work with Pauling. Social life in Pasadena. Writes book with Pauling. Interest in vibration of polyatomic ions and group theory develops. Ph.D. thesis on ground state of lithium. |
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16 |
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Harvard University
Twice receives invitation to join Society of Fellows. Works on vibration and internal rotation. Given faculty appointment. Teaches quantum mechanics, physical chemistry. Builds infrared spectrometer. F-G method. Microwave spectroscopy. Writes Introduction to Scientific Research while on sabbatical at Oxford. |
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24 |
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Government Work
Woods Hole Project during World War II. First experience with explosives, vacuum tubes, electronics. Weapons Systems Evaluation group in Washington, D.C. during Korean War. Bureaucracy and interservice rivalry. |
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35 |
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Family
Meets first wife, Emily Buckingham, while at Harvard. Eldest son, Kenneth, wins Nobel Prize. Son David active at Cornell in biochemistry. Daughter Nina in economics. Leukemia causes Emily's death. Remarriage. Daughter Ann studies monkey behavior in Amazon jungles in Peru. Son Paul studies differentiation in frog embryos at Berkeley. Son Steven is entrepreneur. |
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40 |
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Further Work at Harvard University
Signal-to-noise improvement; 1/f noise. Electrical secular determinant solver. Infrared intensity measurement work. Paper with Crawford on internal rotation and vibration. |
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46 |
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Notes
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51 |
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Index
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55 |
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| 1930 |
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B.S., Chemistry, Princeton University |
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| 1931 |
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M.A., Princeton University |
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| 1933 |
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Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, California Institute of Technology |
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| California Institute of Technology |
| 1933-1934 |
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Research Fellow |
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| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
| 1942-1944 |
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Research Director, Underwater Explosives Research Laboratory |
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| National Defense Research Committee |
| 1944-1946 |
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Chief, Division 2 |
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| Department of Defense |
| 1952-1953 |
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Weapons System Evaluation Group |
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| Harvard University |
| 1934-1936 |
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Junior Fellow, Society of Fellows |
| 1936-1939 |
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Assistant Professor |
| 1939-1946 |
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Associate Professor |
| 1946-1979 |
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Professor |
| 1947-1979 |
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Theodore William Richards Professor of Chemistry |
| 1979-Present |
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Professor Emeritus |
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| 1937 |
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Award in Pure Chemistry, American Chemical Society
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| 1942 |
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Honorary M.A., Harvard University
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| 1948 |
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Medal for Merit, United States Government
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| 1962 |
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Debye Award in Physical Chemistry, American Chemical Society
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| 1966 |
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Alumni Distinguished Service Award, California Institute of Technology
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| 1966 |
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James Flack Norris Award in Teaching of Chemistry, Northeast Section, American Chemical Society
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| 1969 |
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G. N. Lewis Award, California Section, American Chemical Society
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| 1972 |
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Pauling Award, Oregon and Puget Sound Section, American Chemical Society
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| 1973 |
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Rumford Medal, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
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| 1975 |
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D. honoris causa, Free University of Brussels
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| 1976 |
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Honorary D.Sc. degree, Dickinson College
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| 1976 |
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Dr. chemistry, University of Bologna
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| 1976 |
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National Medal of Science
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| 1976 |
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Antonio Feltrinelli Award, Rome, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei
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| 1977 |
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Monie A. Ferst Award, Sigma Xi
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| 1978 |
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Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award
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| 1978 |
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T. W. Richards Medal, Northeast Section, American Chemical Society
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| 1978 |
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Robert A. Welch Award
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| 1978 |
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Earl A. Plyler Award, American Physical Society
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| 1979 |
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Honorary D.Sc. degree, Columbia University
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| 1981 |
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Honorary D.Sc. degree, Princeton University
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| 1983 |
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Honorary D.Sc. degree, Clarkson College
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| 1983 |
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Honorary D.Sc. degree, Harvard University
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Raymond C. Ferguson obtained his degrees in chemistry from Iowa State University (B.S., M.S.) and Harvard University (Ph.D.). He worked in research divisions of the Organic Chemicals, Elastomer Chemicals, and Central Research Departments of DuPont, principally in molecular spectroscopy, organic structure analysis, and polymer characterization. Currently he is affiliated with CONDUX, Inc., a consulting association of former DuPont professionals.
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