The Center for Oral History at the Science History Institute is dedicated to creating a collection of comprehensive, professionally edited interviews with remarkable figures in chemistry, chemical engineering, life sciences, and related fields. With interviews dating back to 1979, our oral histories offer unique insights into the history of science.
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16 items
Oral history interview with Frank H. Westheimer
- 1979-Jan-04 (First session)
- 1979-Jan-05 (Second session)
In this interview, Frank Westheimer begins with his family, his childhood and early education in Baltimore, his undergraduate days at Dartmouth, his decision to go into chemistry, and his choice of Harvard for graduate…
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10 items
Oral history interview with Melvin S. Newman
- 1979-Mar-03 (First session)
- 1979-Mar-04 (Second session)
This interview covers the education, teaching, and research of Melvin S. Newman, an eminent organic chemist. Initially, Newman discusses his family, childhood, and early education. He then elucidates his undergraduate…
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8 items
Oral history interview with Charles C. Price
- 1979-Apr-26
During the course of this interview, Charles Price discusses his life and career as a chemist. Initially, he recalls his childhood, including an incident when he had his right hand blown away by an exploding box of…
- Interviewee Price, Charles C. (Charles Coale), 1913-2001
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B.
- Subject Scientists with disabilities, University of Notre Dame, People with disabilities, Reactions Mechanism Conference 1st, Chemists, Price, Charles C. (Charles Coale), 1913-2001, Chemists--Biography, University of Illinois at Chicago
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5 items
Oral history interview with Cheves Walling
- 1979-Sep-12
Cheves Walling begins this interview by describing his family, early education, and undergraduate days at Harvard. He then discusses his graduate education at the University of Chicago, stressing the major review…
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6 items
Oral history interview with Donald J. Cram
- 1981-Jan-14
In this interview Donald Cram talks briefly about his family and growing up in Vermont, Florida and New York, and this is followed by a description of his experiences at Rollins College and his start in the world of…
- Interviewee Cram, Donald J.
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B.
- Subject Cram, Donald J., Interviews, Chemists, Chemistry, Organic, Chemists--Biography, Nobel Prize winners, Chemistry
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7 items
Oral history interview with Frank R. Mayo
- 1981-Jan-21
In this interview Dr. Frank Mayo first discusses his educational career as an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Chicago. He then traces his professional career as a research chemist with Du Pont,…
- Interviewee Mayo, Frank R. (Rea), 1908-1987
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B.
- Subject Kharasch, M. S. (Morris Selig), 1895-1957, General Electric Company. Research Laboratory, Stanford Research Institute, University of Chicago, United States Rubber Company, Chemists, Mayo, Frank R. (Rea), 1908-1987, Chemists--Biography, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
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5 items
Oral history interview with Andrew Streitwieser
- 1981-Jan-22
Andrew Streitwieser begins this interview by describing his family, early education, and undergraduate days at Columbia University. He then discusses his graduate education at Columbia, stressing the influence of…
- Interviewee Streitwieser, Andrew, 1927-
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B.
- Subject Streitweiser, Andrew, 1927-, Molecular orbitals, Chemistry, Organic, Chemists, Chemistry--Research, Chemistry, Organic--Research
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Oral history interview with Donald S. Noyce
- 1981-Jan-22
Donald Noyces comments on his childhood in Iowa, his years at Grinnell College, his experience at Columbia University as a graduate student, and his position at the University of California at Berkeley. Noyce also…
- Interviewee Noyce, Donald S. (Donald Sterling), 1923-2004
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B.
- Subject Noyce, Donald S. (Donald Sterling), 1923-2004, Chemists, Chemists--Biography
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6 items
Oral history interview with Carl S. Marvel
- 1983-Jul-13
In this interview, Carl Marvel speaks about his life and career as a chemist. He begins by recalling his youth on a farm and his early education. Considerations of his undergraduate days at Illinois Wesleyan College and…
- Interviewee Marvel, Carl Shipp, 1894-1988
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B., Price, Charles C. (Charles Coale), 1913-2001
- Subject Polymers, Chemists, Marvel, Carl Shipp, 1894-1988, Chemists--Biography
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5 items
Oral history interview with Keith J. Laidler
- 1983-Oct-13 (First session)
- 1983-Oct-14 (Second session)
- 1983-Oct-18 (Third session)
In this interview, K. J. Laidler recalls his childhood, early education, and undergraduate days at Oxford University. He then speaks about his colleagues and teachers at Princeton University where he did graduate work.…
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9 items
Oral history interview with Max Tishler
- 1983-Nov-14
This interview discusses Max Tishler's life and career. Tishler reminisces about his family, early schooling, undergraduate education at Tufts, and graduate and postgraduate work at Harvard. He then talks about his…
- Interviewee Tishler, Max
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B., Heitmann, John A.
- Subject Kohler, Elmer Peter, 1865-1938, Merck & Co., Chemists, Harvard University, Chemists--Biography, Tishler, Max
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8 items
Oral history interview with Francis O. Rice
- 1984-Jan-04 (First session)
- 1984-Jan-05 (Second session)
Francis O. Rice discusses his life and career in this interview, which begins with mention of his early days in England, his studies at Princeton, and his teaching at New York University. Rice describes his teaching,…
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6 items
Oral history interview with Vladimir Prelog
- 1984-Jan-17
In this interview Vladimir Prelog discusses his career as an organic chemist. Prelog describes a thirty five year long affiliation with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). This includes work with the…
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11 items
Oral history interview with John C. Warner
- 1984-Feb-08
John C. Warner begins the interview with a discussion of his family and childhood years growing up on a farm. He developed an interest in science in high school due to the encouragement of his science teacher, G. W.…
- Interviewee Warner, John Christian, 1897-1989
- Interviewer Heitmann, John A.
- Subject Chemists, Indiana University, Chemists--Biography, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Warner, John Christian, 1897-1989
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6 items
Oral history interview with Izaak M. Kolthoff
- 1984-Mar-15
In this interview Professor Izaak Kolthoff begins by discussing his early life in Holland, his family, and his education. Kolthoff continues with the factors influencing his decision to become an analytical chemist, and…
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5 items
Oral history interview with Claude K. Deischer
- 1984-Apr-27
In this interview, Claude K. Deischer discusses his life and his career as a chemist and historian of chemistry. Initially, Deischer recollects his childhood and early education. He then speaks about his undergraduate…
- Interviewee Deischer, Claude K., 1903-1992
- Interviewer Heitmann, John A.
- Subject Chemistry, Chemists, Edgar F. Smith Memorial Collection, Deischer, Claude K., 1903-1992, University of Pennsylvania, Chemists--Biography
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8 items
Oral history interview with Koji Nakanishi
- 1985-Feb-15
This interview covers the life of Koji Nakanishi from his early education in Egypt to his current work as Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University and Director of the Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research in…
- Interviewee Nakanishi, Kōji, 1925-2019
- Interviewer Gortler, Leon B.
- Subject Nakanishi, Kōji, 1925-2019, Columbia University, Infrared spectroscopy, Nuclear magnetic resonance, Circular dichroism, Chemistry, Organic, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Tōhoku Daigaku, Tōkyō Kyōiku Daigaku, Nagoya Daigaku, Natural products--Research, Emigration and immigration
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11 items
Oral history interview with Stuart Winston Churchill
- 1985-Mar-21 (First session)
- 1985-Mar-28 (Second session)
Stuart Churchill begins with background information about his family and early education. He then describes his undergraduate years at the University of Michigan, where he was quite active in the mathematics department…
- Interviewee Churchill, Stuart Winston, 1920-
- Interviewer Sturchio, Jeffrey L. (Jeffrey Louis), 1952-
- Subject Chemical engineering, Shell Oil Company, University of Michigan, Frontier Chemical Company, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, University of Pennsylvania, Heat--Convection, Natural, Chemical engineers, Heat--Transmission, Churchill, Stuart Winston, 1920-, Brown, George Granger, 1896-
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4 items
Oral history interview with Tadeus Reichstein
- 1985-Apr-22
In this interview Tadeus Reichstein discusses his long and distinguished career as an organic chemist. He begins by recalling his family and early education in Germany and Switzerland. The interview continues with…
- Interviewee Reichstein, Tadeusz, 1897-1996
- Interviewer Koeppel, Tonja A.
- Subject Chemical engineering, Nobel Prize winners, Chemical engineers
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6 items
Oral history interview with Arnold O. Beckman
- 1985-Apr-23
This interview, the first of several with Arnold Beckman conducted by the Chemical Heritage Foundation, begins with a discussion of Beckman's teenage experience as an industrial chemist at a local gas works in…
- Interviewee Beckman, Arnold O.
- Interviewer Thackray, Arnold, 1939-, Sturchio, Jeffrey L. (Jeffrey Louis), 1952-
- Subject California Institute of Technology, Chemistry, Physical and theoretical, Beckman, Arnold O., Scientific apparatus and instruments, Spectrophotometer, Instrument manufacture, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Hydrogen-ion concentration--Measurement, Potentiometer, Chemical engineers, Beckman Instruments, Inc.
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11 items
Oral history interview with William O. Baker
- 1985-May-23 (First session)
- 1985-Jun-18 (Second session)
This interview with William O. Baker begins with a discussion of Baker's childhood on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where his parents were involved in raising fowl and developing therapy for turkey pathology; this, along…
- Interviewee Baker, William O. (William Oliver), 1915-2005
- Interviewer Goldstein, Marcy, Sturchio, Jeffrey L. (Jeffrey Louis), 1952-
- Subject Chemistry, Physical and theoretical, Rubber Reserve Company, Polymers, AT & T Bell Laboratories, Carothers, Wallace Hume, 1896-1937, Chemists--Biography, Debye, Peter J. W. (Peter Josef William), 1884-1966, Baker, William O. (William Oliver), 1915-2005, Crystalline polymers, Solid state physics, Solid state chemistry
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5 items
Oral history interview with Carroll A. Hochwalt
- 1985-Jul-12
Carroll A. Hochwalt begins with his early years in Dayton, Ohio, including his student days at the University of Dayton. This is followed by his work with Charles Kettering and Thomas Midgley, Jr., at Dayton Metal…
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6 items
Oral history interview with Arnold O. Beckman
- 1985-Jul-23
The second interview begins with Arnold Beckman describing the National Technical Laboratories in the late 1930s. He details NTL policies and operations. The majority of the transcript focuses on the change from NTL to…
- Interviewee Beckman, Arnold O.
- Interviewer Thackray, Arnold, 1939-, Sturchio, Jeffrey L. (Jeffrey Louis), 1952-
- Subject California Institute of Technology, Chemistry, Physical and theoretical, Beckman, Arnold O., Scientific apparatus and instruments, Spectrophotometer, Instrument manufacture, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Hydrogen-ion concentration--Measurement, Potentiometer, Chemical engineers, Beckman Instruments, Inc.
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9 items
Oral history interview with Carl Djerassi
- 1985-Jul-31
In this interview Carl Djerassi begins with his early years in Vienna and Bulgaria, including his schooling at the American College in Sofia. This is followed by his immigration to the United States, with special…
- Interviewee Djerassi, Carl
- Interviewer Thackray, Arnold, 1939-, Sturchio, Jeffrey L. (Jeffrey Louis), 1952-
- Subject Djerassi, Carl, Syntex Corporation, Cetus Corporation, Chemists, Chemistry, Organic, Zoecon Corporation, Wayne State University, Stanford University, Chemistry, Ciba Pharmaceutical Company, Chemists--Biography, Steroids, Emigration and immigration
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4 items
Oral history interview with Albert Eschenmoser
- 1985-Oct-07
Albert Eschenmoser begins the interview with a discussion of his early life and education. Born in Switzerland, he attended school in the canton of Uri. At the age of sixteen, he decided that he wanted to become a…