We have learned of the deaths of the following members of the College of Chemistry community. Listed below are their names, UC Berkeley degree information, and information about their academic and work history if known. We have also provided a link to an online obituary, when available.
Harold W. Dodgen ('46, Ph.D. Chem)
Dr. Dodgen grew up in Long Beach, Calif. He moved to Berkeley to attend the University of California, where he received a B.S. in chemistry and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1946. During World War II while in Berkeley, he worked on the Manhattan Project, which developed the first atomic bomb. He was the first person to determine the spectrum of plutonium, which was a necessity to the success of the project. From 1946 to 1948 he did post-doctoral work at the Institute for Nuclear Studies in Chicago, Ill., and then moved to Pullman to join the faculty of the chemistry department at Washington State University (then WSC). In 1954 he became head of the Reactor Project, which lead to the building of the Nuclear Science Center that now bears his name. In 1968 he joined with Dr. William Band to create the Chemical Physics Program at WSU. Harold retired from WSU in 1986. [1]
William A. Klemperer ('54, Ph.D. Chem)
Dr. Klemperer was an American chemist who was one of the most influential chemical physicists and molecular spectroscopists in the second half of the 20th century. Klemperer is most widely known for introducing molecular beam methods into chemical physics research, greatly increasing the understanding of nonbonding interactions between atoms and molecules through development of the microwave spectroscopy of van der Waals molecules formed in supersonic expansions, pioneering astrochemistry, including developing the first gas phase chemical models of cold molecular clouds that predicted an abundance of the molecular HCO+ molecular ion that was later confirmed by radio astronomy. After one semester as an instructor at Berkeley, Bill returned to Harvard in July, 1954. Klemperer's initial appointment was as an instructor of analytical chemistry, but he quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed full professor in 1965. He remained associated with Harvard Chemistry throughout his career. He spent 1968-69 on sabbatical with the Astronomers at Cambridge University and 1979-81 as Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the U.S. National Science Foundation. He was a visiting scientist at Bell Laboratories during a time when it was the premier industrial laboratory. Klemperer became an emeritus professor in 2002 but remained active in both research and teaching. [1]
Donald McClure ('48, Ph.D. Chem)
Donald McClure was the Russell Wellman Moore Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, at Princeton University. McClure joined Princeton’s faculty in 1967 and transferred to emeritus status in 1991. He made pioneering contributions to the fields of molecular spectroscopy and condensed-matter physics. McClure published more than 130 papers in chemistry and physics journals, the book, “Electronic Spectra of Molecules and Ions in Crystals,” and chapters of several other books. He studied the phosphorescence of organic molecules, the electronic levels of key organic molecules of the heterocyclic class, and photochemical processes. He also focused on the spectra of inorganic ions in ionic crystals and multiphoton spectroscopy using lasers. His work in spectroscopy led to deep understanding of such things as the origin of the remarkable colors of gem stones and related crystals. In an era before the invention of lasers, he showed great insight and ingenuity in devising ways to measure the life times of excited electronic states of organic molecules. Today, the bright OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens on cellphones derive from discoveries Don made on how these electronic excited states generate phosphorescence.