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Pitzer was director of research for the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|U.S. Atomic Energy Commission]] from 1949 to 1951 and a member of the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]].<ref>[http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MEMOIRS_P National Academy of Sciences memoir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629070736/http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MEMOIRS_P |date=2010-06-29 }}</ref> He was elected to the [[American Philosophical Society]] in 1954 and the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] in 1958.<ref>{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Kenneth+Pitzer&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/kenneth-sanborn-pitzer |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |language=en}}</ref>
Pitzer was director of research for the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|U.S. Atomic Energy Commission]] from 1949 to 1951 and a member of the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]].<ref>[http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MEMOIRS_P National Academy of Sciences memoir] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629070736/http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MEMOIRS_P |date=2010-06-29 }}</ref> He was elected to the [[American Philosophical Society]] in 1954 and the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] in 1958.<ref>{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Kenneth+Pitzer&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/kenneth-sanborn-pitzer |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |language=en}}</ref>


As a scientist, Pitzer was known for his work on the [[thermodynamic]] properties of [[molecules]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Curl |first1=Robert F. |last2=Gwinn |first2=William D. |title=Biography of Kenneth S. Pitzer |year=1990 |journal=[[J. Phys. Chem.]] |volume=94 |issue=20 |pages=7743–7753 |doi=10.1021/j100383a001}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Kenneth S. |editor-last=Pitzer |title=Molecular Structure and Statistical Thermodynamics: Selected Papers of Kenneth S. Pitzer |series=World Scientific Series in 20th Century Chemistry |volume=1 |year=1993 |publisher=World Scientific |location=Singapore |isbn=981-02-1439-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Rard |first=Joseph A. |title=Memorial Tribute Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer 1914–1997 |year=1999 |journal=Journal of Solution Chemistry |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=247–264 |doi=10.1023/A:1022619709105|s2cid=189864882 }}</ref> While still a graduate student he discovered that hydrocarbon molecules do not rotate unhindered around their C-C bonds. There is in fact a barrier to internal rotation, an important discovery upsetting the conventional wisdom and affecting the thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbons.<ref name = "Connick" /> Some of his work is summed up in the [[Pitzer equations]] describing the behavior of ions dissolved in water.<ref name = "Connick" /> During his long career he won many awards, most notably the [[National Medal of Science]] and the [[Priestley Medal]]. The Ohio Supercomputing System named their new cluster Pitzer in honour of Kenneth Pitzer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osc.edu/vocabulary/supercomputers/pitzer |title=Ohio Supercomputer Center - Pitzer}}</ref>
As a scientist, Pitzer was known for his work on the [[thermodynamic]] properties of [[molecules]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Curl |first1=Robert F. |last2=Gwinn |first2=William D. |title=Biography of Kenneth S. Pitzer |year=1990 |journal=[[J. Phys. Chem.]] |volume=94 |issue=20 |pages=7743–7753 |doi=10.1021/j100383a001}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Kenneth S. |editor-last=Pitzer |title=Molecular Structure and Statistical Thermodynamics: Selected Papers of Kenneth S. Pitzer |series=World Scientific Series in 20th Century Chemistry |volume=1 |year=1993 |publisher=World Scientific |location=Singapore |isbn=981-02-1439-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Rard |first=Joseph A. |title=Memorial Tribute Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer 1914–1997 |year=1999 |journal=[[Journal of Solution Chemistry]] |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=247–264 |doi=10.1023/A:1022619709105|s2cid=189864882 }}</ref> While still a graduate student he discovered that hydrocarbon molecules do not rotate unhindered around their C-C bonds. There is in fact a barrier to internal rotation, an important discovery upsetting the conventional wisdom and affecting the thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbons.<ref name = "Connick" /> Some of his work is summed up in the [[Pitzer equations]] describing the behavior of ions dissolved in water.<ref name = "Connick" /> During his long career he won many awards, most notably the [[National Medal of Science]] and the [[Priestley Medal]]. The Ohio Supercomputing System named their new cluster Pitzer in honour of Kenneth Pitzer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osc.edu/vocabulary/supercomputers/pitzer |title=Ohio Supercomputer Center - Pitzer}}</ref>


In the public hearing that led to the revocation of [[Robert Oppenheimer]]'s security clearance, Pitzer testified about his policy differences with Oppenheimer concerning the development of [[Nuclear weapon design#Two-stage thermonuclear|thermonuclear weapons]].<ref>{{cite book |title=In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer: Transcript of Hearing Before Personnel Security Board |url=https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesatom007206mbp |year=1954 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesatom007206mbp/page/n708 697]–709}}</ref>
In the public hearing that led to the revocation of [[Robert Oppenheimer]]'s security clearance, Pitzer testified about his policy differences with Oppenheimer concerning the development of [[Nuclear weapon design#Two-stage thermonuclear|thermonuclear weapons]].<ref>{{cite book |title=In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer: Transcript of Hearing Before Personnel Security Board |url=https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesatom007206mbp |year=1954 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesatom007206mbp/page/n708 697]–709}}</ref>

Latest revision as of 10:54, 29 September 2025

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Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer (January 6, 1914 – December 26, 1997) was an American physical and theoretical chemist, educator, and university president.[1] He was described as "one of the most influential physical chemists of his era" whose work "spanned almost all of the important fields of physical chemistry: thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, molecular structure, quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, chemical bonding, relativistic chemical effects, properties of concentrated aqueous salt solutions, kinetics, and conformational analysis."[2]

Biography

Pitzer received his B.S. in 1935 from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1937.[3] Upon graduation, he was appointed to the faculty of UC Berkeley's chemistry department and was eventually promoted to professor. From 1951 to 1960, he served as dean of the College of Chemistry.

Pitzer was the third president of Rice University from 1961 until 1968 and sixth president of Stanford University from 1969 until 1971. His tenure at Stanford was turbulent due to student protests.[4] Worn out by the confrontations, he announced his resignation in 1970 after a 19-month tenure. He returned to UC Berkeley in 1971. He retired in 1984, but continued research and scientific writing until his death.

Pitzer was director of research for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1949 to 1951 and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.[5] He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1954 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958.[6][7]

As a scientist, Pitzer was known for his work on the thermodynamic properties of molecules.[8][9][10] While still a graduate student he discovered that hydrocarbon molecules do not rotate unhindered around their C-C bonds. There is in fact a barrier to internal rotation, an important discovery upsetting the conventional wisdom and affecting the thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbons.[2] Some of his work is summed up in the Pitzer equations describing the behavior of ions dissolved in water.[2] During his long career he won many awards, most notably the National Medal of Science and the Priestley Medal. The Ohio Supercomputing System named their new cluster Pitzer in honour of Kenneth Pitzer.[11]

In the public hearing that led to the revocation of Robert Oppenheimer's security clearance, Pitzer testified about his policy differences with Oppenheimer concerning the development of thermonuclear weapons.[12]

Personal life

Pitzer's father, Russell K. Pitzer, founded Pitzer College, one of the five Claremont Colleges in California. His son, Russell M. Pitzer is also a notable chemist who is currently retired from the faculty at Ohio State University.

See also

Books

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  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". With acknowledgment to Gilbert Newton Lewis and Merle Randall, authors of the first edition, and to Leo Brewer, coauthor of the second edition.

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Template:Cite thesis
  4. ↑ "Former Stanford president, renowned chemist Ken Pitzer, dies" Template:Webarchive, Stanford University, January 6, 1998
  5. ↑ National Academy of Sciences memoir Template:Webarchive
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Academic offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/checkTemplate:Succession box/check President of Rice University
1961–1968 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/checkTemplate:Succession box/check President of Stanford University
1968–1970 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:Stanford presidents

Template:Authority control

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