Oral history interview with John C. Bailar, Jr.
- 1987-May-28 – 1987-Jun-17
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.The interviews entail a discussion of John Bailar, Jr.'s scientific life, beginning with a description of his family background. His parents had a great influence on Bailar's early education; growing up, he often helped his father with his chemical research. This experience peaked Bailar's interest in pursuing chemistry at the University of Colorado, where he received a BA in 1924, followed by an MA in 1925. Bailar continued his education, earning a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Michigan in 1928. He then took a position teaching general chemistry at the University of Illinois. While there, he changed his emphasis to inorganic chemistry, conducting research on isomerism and molecular rearrangements, and later on coordination compounds. By the early 1930s, Bailar had become a member of the graduate faculty, supervising the research of several graduate students. Throughout his career, he was heavily involved with the ACS; in 1959, he was elected president. The interviews end with Bailar's recollections of some of his most successful students, and his reflections on graduate education.
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About the Interviewer
Theodore L. Brown holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in chemistry. Since 1956, he has been a member of the faculty of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he is now Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus. He served the University in various capacities, including as Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate College during 1980–1986, as Founding Director of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology during 1987–1993, and as Interim Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs during 1993. He is currently a member of the American Chemical Society Governing Board for Publishing as well as of the Board of Directors of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.
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| Oral history number | 0073 |
Related Items
Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | University of Colorado Boulder | BA | Chemistry |
| 1925 | University of Colorado Boulder | MA | Chemistry |
| 1928 | University of Michigan | PhD | Organic Chemistry |
Professional Experience
University of Colorado Boulder
- 1924 to 1925 Chemistry Fellow
University of Michigan
- 1926 to 1928 Assistant in Chemistry
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- 1928 to 1930 Instructor in Chemistry
- 1930 to 1935 Associate in Chemistry
- 1935 to 1939 Assistant Professor
- 1937 to 1951 Secretary of the Chemistry Department
- 1939 to 1943 Associate Professor
- 1941 to 1967 Head of Division of Inorganic Chemistry
- 1943 to 1972 Professor
- 1972 to 1987 Professor Emeritus
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1946 | Foster Lecturer, University of Buffalo |
| 1957 | Clark Lecturer, University of West Virginia |
| 1959 | Noyes Lecturer, Phi Lambda Upsilon, University of Illinois |
| 1959 | Hon. ScD, University of Colorado |
| 1959 | Hon. ScD, University of Buffalo |
| 1959 | President, American Chemical Society |
| 1960 | Smith Lecturer, Oklahoma State University |
| 1961 | Award in Chemical Education, American Chemical Society |
| 1962 | Kuebler Award, Alpha Chi Sigma |
| 1962 | Merck Lecturer, Bucknell University |
| 1963 to 1964 | Member, President's Advisory Committee |
| 1963 to 1971 | Treasurer, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry |
| 1964 | Priestley Medal, American Chemical Society |
| 1965 | Dwyer Medal, Chemical Society of New South Wales |
| 1966 | Werner Memorial Lecturer, Zürich |
| 1966 | Werner Gold Medal, Swiss Chemical Society |
| 1968 | Dwyer Memorial Lecturer, Chemical Society of New South Wales |
| 1968 | Welch Foundation Lecturer |
| 1968 | American Cyanamid Lecturer, University of Connecticut |
| 1968 | Award for the Teaching of Chemistry, Manufacturing Chemists Association |
| 1970 to 1971 | National Lecturer, Sigma Xi |
| 1972 | Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry, American Chemical Society |
| 1973 | Hon. ScD, Lehigh University |
| 1974 | Honorary Fellow, Indian Chemical Society |
| 1976 | Honorary Member, Illinois State Academy of Science |
| 1978 | Heyrovsky Medal, Czechoslovakian Academy of Science |
| 1982 | Hon. Doctor of Humane Letters, Monmouth College |
| 1983 | Spicer Memorial Lecturer, Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 1983 | Ferst Award, Sigma Xi |
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The published version of the transcript may diverge from the interview audio due to edits to the transcript made by staff of the Center for Oral History, often at the request of the interviewee, during the transcript review process.