Oral history interview with Herman Mark
- 1986-Feb-03 (First session)
- 1986-Mar-17 (Second session)
- 1986-Jun-20 (Third session)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.In this first of three interviews Herman Mark starts with his study of relatively stable free radicals under the direction of Wilhelm Schlenk, first in Vienna and then in Berlin. After a post doctoral period at the University of Berlin, Mark was invited by Haber to join the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute at Dahlem. There, Mark collaborated with Polanyi and other colleagues in using x-ray diffraction to establish the crystal structures of small organic molecules and metals. This work as extended to naturally occurring organic materials such as cellulose and silk. As a consequence, Mark was able to play an important role at the critical 1926 meeting in Dusseldorf, which brought together Staudinger and the opponents of the macromolecular hypothesis.
Mark's next move was to I.G. Farben, where he established a polymer laboratory. That was also where he first collaborated with Kurt Meyer, with whom he published the pioneering x-ray crystallographic structure of cellulose. Mark describes the laboratories, research directions, and colleagues during his stay at Ludwigshafen. The worsening political climate in Germany prompted Mark to accept a chair at his alma mater. Back in Vienna, he set up the first comprehensive polymer research and teaching institute. Mark concludes this interview by describing the circumstances of an approach from the Canadian International paper Company and his decision to leave Austria.
The second interview details his experiences in the Canadian paper industry and his early ventures into publishing with the first of the Polymer Monograph series. Mark explains how he was able to resume an academic career by starting the polymer program at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute which soon would become world renowned. Mark tells of his part in the formation of the literature of polymer science and technology: journals, monographs, reference books and encyclopedias. Finally Mark refers to his more recent research interests and describes the changes in research funding that have taken place during the past four decades.
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About the Interviewers
James J. Bohning was professor emeritus of chemistry at Wilkes University, where he had been a faculty member from 1959 to 1990. He served there as chemistry department chair from 1970 to 1986 and environmental science department chair from 1987 to 1990. Bohning was chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1986; he received the division’s Outstanding Paper Award in 1989 and presented more than forty papers at national meetings of the society. Bohning was on the advisory committee of the society’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program from its inception in 1992 through 2001 and is currently a consultant to the committee. He developed the oral history program of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and he was CHF’s director of oral history from 1990 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Bohning was a science writer for the News Service group of the American Chemical Society. In May 2005, he received the Joseph Priestley Service Award from the Susquehanna Valley Section of the American Chemical Society. Bohning passed away in September 2011.
Jeffrey L. Sturchio is president and CEO of the Global Health Council. Previously he served as vice president of corporate responsibility at Merck & Co., president of the Merck Company Foundation, and chairman of the U.S. Corporate Council on Africa. Sturchio is currently a visiting scholar at the Institute for Applied Economics and the Study of Business Enterprise at Johns Hopkins University and a member of the Global Agenda Council on the Healthy Next Generation of the World Economic Forum. He received an AB in history from Princeton University and a PhD in the history and sociology of science from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Universität Wien | PhD | Chemistry |
Professional Experience
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Berlin
- 1921 to 1922 Instructor in Organic Chemistry
Kaiser Wilhelm-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften
- 1922 to 1926 Research Fellow
Karlsruhr Technical University
- 1927 to 1932 Associate Professor
I.G. Farben Industrie
- 1927 to 1928 Research Chemist
- 1928 to 1930 Group Leader
- 1930 to 1932 Assistant Research Director
Universität Wien
- 1932 to 1938 Professor of Chemistry and Director, First Chemical Institute
Canadian International Paper Company
- 1938 to 1940
Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
- 1940 to 1942 Adjunct Professor
- 1942 to 1964 Professor
- 1961 to 1964 Dean of Faculty
- 1965 to 1987 Dean and Professor Emeritus
University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Polymer Research Institute
- 1946 to 1964 Director
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1928 | Hertz Medal, Germany |
| 1933 | Austrian Academy, member |
| 1934 | Bucharest Academy, member |
| 1934 | Exner Medal, Austria |
| 1936 | Chemical Society of Madrid, member |
| 1937 | Chemical Society of Bucharest, member |
| 1937 | Austrian Society of Textile Chemists and Colorists, member |
| 1937 | Austrian Society for X-Ray Research, member |
| 1937 | Medal of the Austrian Society of Textile Chemists and Colorists |
| 1938 | Budapest Academy, member |
| 1943 | New York Academy of Science, member |
| 1944 | American Institute of Physics, member |
| 1947 | Royal Institution of Great Britain, member |
| 1947 | Max Planck Society, member |
| 1948 | Harrison Howe Award, American Chemical Society |
| 1948 | Franqui Medaille, Belgium |
| 1949 | American Leather Society, member |
| 1949 | Amsterdam Academy, member |
| 1950 | Honorary degree, University of Liège, Belgium |
| 1950 | Vienna Physical Chemistry Society, member |
| 1950 | Textile Institute of Great Britain, member |
| 1950 | Indian Academy of Sciences, member |
| 1951 | Austrian Association of Paper Chemists, member |
| 1952 | Austrian Society for Wood Research, member |
| 1952 | National Institute of Science of India, member |
| 1953 | Weizmann Institute of Science, member |
| 1953 | Honor Scroll of the American Institute of Chemists |
| 1953 | Legion d'Honneur |
| 1953 | Honorary degree, University of Uppsala, Sweden |
| 1954 | Honorary degree, Free University of Berlin, West Germany |
| 1954 | Medal of Honor, Milan Polytechnic Institute |
| 1954 | Italian Chemical Society, member |
| 1955 | Honorary Fellow, University of Vienna |
| 1955 | Honorary degree, Technical University of Berlin, West Germany |
| 1955 | Golden Honor Medal, University of Vienna |
| 1955 | Trasenster Medal, Association of Belgian Engineers |
| 1956 | Honorary degree, Lowell Technological Institute |
| 1956 | American Academy of Arts and Sciences, member |
| 1960 | Nichols Medal, American Chemical Society |
| 1960 | Honorary degree, Technical University of Munich, West Germany |
| 1961 | Distinguished Service Medal, Syracuse University |
| 1961 | National Academy of Science,member |
| 1962 | Phi Lamba Upsilon Honorary Chemical Society, member |
| 1962 | International Award, Society of Plastics Engineers |
| 1962 | Gold Medal, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science |
| 1962 | Honorary degree, Gutenberg University, Mainz, West Germany |
| 1964 | Honorary degree, Karl Franzens University, Graz, Austria |
| 1965 | Honorary degree, Technische Hochschüle, Vienna, Austria |
| 1965 | Honorary degree, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn |
| 1965 | Honorary degree, Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| 1965 | Polymer Chemistry Award, American Chemical Society |
| 1965 | Olney Medal, American Chemical Society |
| 1965 | Plastics Institute of America, member |
| 1965 | Austrian Society for Plastics Technology, member |
| 1965 | The Fiber Society, member |
| 1966 | Soviet Academy of Sciences, member |
| 1966 | Austrian Honor Cross in Science and Arts |
| 1966 | Cresson Medal |
| 1968 | Swinburne Medal, Plastics Institute of Great Britain |
| 1968 | International Academy of Wood Science, member |
| 1970 | City of Vienna Prize for Natural Sciences |
| 1970 | Distinguished Service Award, Polytechnic Chapter Sigma Xi |
| 1971 | The Franklin Institute, member |
| 1971 | Honorary degree, Jassy University, Rumania |
| 1972 | Society of Polymer Science of Japan, member |
| 1972 | Scientific Achievement Medal Award, City College Alumni Association |
| 1972 | Chemical Pioneer Award, American Institute of Chemists |
| 1973 | Indian Chemical Society, member |
| 1973 | Honorary degree, Universidad Autonoma Madrid, Spain |
| 1974 | Croatian Society of Plastics Engineers, member |
| 1975 | Gibbs Medal, American Chemical Society |
| 1975 | Austrian Grand Silver Medal with Star |
| 1975 | 150th Anniversary Prize, Aachen and Munich Insurance Association |
| 1975 | Honorary degree, Israel Institute of Technology, Israel |
| 1976 | Honorary degree, Long Island University, New York |
| 1976 | Honorary degree, Montan University, Leoben, Austria |
| 1976 | Plastics and Coatings Award, American Chemical Society |
| 1976 | Harvey Prize, Israeli Technion |
| 1976 | Plastics Hall of Fame, member |
| 1977 | The Chemists Club, member |
| 1977 | The New York Academy of Sciences, member |
| 1977 | Distinguished Service Award, Polytechnic University of New York |
| 1978 | Humboldt Prize |
| 1978 | Plastics Vision" Award, Society of Plastics Engineers |
| 1978 | Chemical Society of Japan, member |
| 1978 | American Institute of Chemists, member |
| 1979 | Yugoslav Society of Plastics and Rubber Engineers, member |
| 1979 | Indian Society for Polymer Science, member |
| 1979 | The Royal Institute of Chemistry, member |
| 1979 | Wolf Prize, Israel |
| 1979 | Honorary degree, University of Nottingham, Great Britain |
| 1980 | Honorary degree, University of Vienna, Austria |
| 1980 | Perkin Medal, Society of Chemical Industry, Great Britain |
| 1980 | National Medal of Sciences |
| 1980 | Jabotinsky Centennial Medal, Israel |
| 1980 | Silver Medal, International Commission for Fiber Science Research, France |
| 1980 | Colwyn Medal, Plastics and Rubber Institute, Great Britain |
| 1980 | Gesellschaft für Chemiewirtschaft, Vienna |
| 1981 | American Society for Testing Materials, member |
| 1982 | Gold Award, Society for Plastics Technology, Vienna |
| 1982 | Polymer Education Award, American Chemical Society |
| 1982 | Honorary degree, University of Massachusetts |
| 1984 | 30th Anniversary Lecture Medal, Milan Polytechnic Institute |
| 1985 | Gold Merit Medal, International Center for Research on Synthetic Fibers |
| 1985 | The Textile Institute of Great Britain, Honorary Fellowship |
| 1986 | Mayor's Award of Honor for Science and Technology, City of New York |
| 1987 | Bronze Medal, Universite Claude Bernard, Lyon |
| 1987 | Medal of the City of Lyon, France |
| 1987 | Bronze Medal, Conseil Général du Rhône, France |
| 1987 | Mayor's award of Honor for Science and Technology, City of Vienna |
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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.