Mark E. Casida Academic Family Tree

Not every PhD has as well-documented an academic family tree as I do (through no fault of my own). The following information is taken from The Chemical Geneology Data Base compiled by Vera V. Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami in 1998. See PhD comics for a humorous comment on academic family trees.

The history of chemistry has its roots in many different countries and different cultures. This particular academic family tree starts with Apothecary's and MD's in Germany and (primarily) in France. Although Lavoisier, sometimes called "the father of modern chemistry," had no official students, Bucquet collaborated closely with Lavoisier. Hence it is not unreasonable to claim academic descent from Lavoisier. Stromeyer represents an important historical point since he was trained both in France and Germany. From him stems a long line of German chemists. The German-trained American chemist Kistiakowsky brought his knowledge of German chemical research to America. In some sense, in going back to France, I represent a migration back to the very country from which my academic family tree sprouted!

My PhD advisor was John E. Harriman. I owe him a great debt of gratitude for his gentle but rigorous ways --- ways which I think helped me to develop my own unique approach. I learned much of lasting benefit from John.

As an undergraduate I took classes from and did research with Henry F. Schaeffer III. His ab initio approach to theoretical chemistry has also left lasting traces in my way of thinking. Click here for his academic family tree.

Bodenstein, Max Ernst August

Pioneer in chemical kinetics; studied decomposition of hydrohalic acids and their formation from H₂ + X₂; first to postuate a chain reaction mechanism and that explosions are branched chain reactions; first to elucidate kinetics and mechanisms of heterogeneous reactions, esp. Pt-catalyzed oxidation of SO₂ to SO₃, CO to CO₂, and NH₃ to nitrogen oxides; studied catalysis in flowing systems and discovered diffusion controlled catalytic reactions; established the importance of termolecular colisions in kinetics; studied photchemical reactions.

Bucquet, Jean Baptiste Michel

Analyzed zeolite; first to teach Lavoisier's theories in France; collaborator with Lavoisier from 1777; first detailed accounts on plant chemistry; showed CO₂ was acidic; analyzed opium; discovered morphine; studied chemistry of NH₄Cl and arsenic salts; analyzed blood and isolated fibrin.

Footnote: While Lavoisier had no students per se, Bucquet and Lavoisier collaborated early in both their acreers. Lavoisier's ideas had a major impact on Bucquet and vice versa.

Bunsen, Robert Wilhelm Eberhard

Discovered organo-arsenic compounds (and first effective antidote for arsenic poisoning!); invented the spectroscope and co-founded (with Kirchhoff) spectrochemical analysis; discovered (with Kirchhoff) cesium and rubidium, and isolated lithium; co-founded (with Roscoe) field of photochemistry and discovered photochemical induction periods; expert on gas analyses and wrote influential text on gasometric methods; invented Bunsen burner; first to propose correct explanation of the operation of geysers; developed first large-scale electrolytic process for the production of magnesium metal.

Permission to use this cartoon has been obtained from Sidney Harris.

Fourcroy, Antoine François de

Important advocate of Lavoisier's views; co-discovered iridium (with Vauquelin); investigated chemistry of urea and chlorine; co-founded modern chemical nomenclature; carried out quantitative analysis of mineral waters; analyzed bone, milk, urinary calculi, and gallstones; showed that muscles contain a large proportion of nitrogen; studied (with Vauquelin) chemistry of metal sulfites and phosphites; showed (with Thenard) that mercury exists in two oxidation states; showed that sulfuric acid can act as a desiccant.

Glaser, Christophle

Professor at Jardin du Roi; described preparation of arsenic trichloride, bismuth oxynitrate, and potasium sulfate (glaserate); imprisoned in the Bastille for supplying arsenic to Sainte-Croix, who poisoned the Marchioness de Brinvilliers.

Gmelin, Johann Friedrich

Apothecary, chemist, botanist, and physician; advocate of phlogiston theory and opponent of Lavoisier; explored synthesis of metallic alloys, especially of transition metals; wrote many text books, especially on pharmacy, mineralogy, poisons, technical chemistry, botany, and the history of chemistry.

Gmelin, Phillipp Friedrich

Professor of botany and chemistry; studied chemistry of antimony; wrote texts on the pancreatic ducts, on mineral waters, and on botany.

Harriman, John Edward

Professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Electron Pair Resonance, theory and experiment; Density-Matrix theory; Density-Functional theory.

Kistiakowsky, George Bogdan

Leading expert in explosives and kinetics of chemical reactions; studied UV-VIS spectra of polyatomic molecules, shock and detonation waves, heat of dissociation of nitrogen, heats of hydrogenation of hydrocarbons, barriers to internal rotation about C-C bonds, and energy redistribution in excited molecules; first demonstration that enzymes can have more than one active site; discov ered radiationless and collisionless singlet-triplet transitions and breakdown of spin state as a quantum number in large molecules; developed scanning time-of-flight mass spectrometer for kinetic studies; science advisor to President Eisenhower; developer of the implosion method which triggered the first atomic bomb.

Lémery, Nicolas

First to distinguish between vegetable (organic) and mineral (inorganic) chemistry; published influential textbook on chemistry; adopted an atomic theory assuming that fundamental particles have characteristic shapes; discovered a commercial process for the production of sulfuric acid; obtained boric acid from borax; investigated chemistry of antimony sulfide; analyzed camphor and honey.

Meyer, Viktor

Discovered thiophene, oximes, iodonium salts, and iodoso compounds; introduced the term stereochemistry and the idea of steric hindrance; discovered Br^. and I^. radicals; co-discovered nitroalkanes; developed new vessels and new method to determine gas densities at high temperatures (1700 deg. C) and used it to determine molecular formula of As₄O₆, monatomic nature of gaseous Hg and Cd, and dissociation of halogens upon heating; discovered method to convert aryl sulfonates to benzoates.

After obtaining his PhD at the age of 18 under Bunsen, Meyer spent three years with Baeyer where he began his publications in organic chemistry.

Rouelle, Guillaume François

Founder of French school of chemistry; geologist; phlogistonist; proposed first modern definition of salts and first to distinguish neutral, acid, and basic salts; explained dehydrating action of sulfuric acid; proposed a theory of distillation; studied the reaction of essential oils with nitric acid; studied the chemical components of plants; analyzed mineral waters; established that the Egyptians used Na₂CO₃, succinic acid, and coal to effect mummification.

Stromeyer, Friedrich

Discovered cadmium; started first German university chemistry teaching laboratory; first to recommend starch as a reagent for free iodine; studied chemistry of arsine and bismuthate salts.

Vauquelin, Louis Nicolas

Discovered chromium, recognized existence of beryllium, and discovered BeO; discovered first amino acid -- asparagine (isolated from asparagus!); isolated camphoric acid, quinic acid, and cyanic acid from natural products; developed methods for the separation of platinum metals; studied action of wine, vinegar, and oils on vessels made of tin and lead; investigated the respiration of insects.