ll. t. Ch . 4 ( 8
THE 1989 OESPER LECTURE The Strong German Influence on Chemistry in Britain and America t n 0
jv l . n , Un v r t f p h r nn b x n t lph r . Around the middle of the 19th century, Germany became the recognized center for the training of chemists. Prior to that, students seeking specialized instruction found it necessary to Dissertatio inauguralis travel to either Paris or Stockholm. Among the students who n sought out J. J. Berzelius in Stockholm were Mitscherlich, n n ll tr ph l ph r rd n Henrich Rose (1819-1821) and, shortly thereafter, Wöhler in l Chr t n —Alb rt n (1823-1825). About the same time (1822-1824), Liebig began pr n ph l ph h n r b his studies with Gay-Lussac in Paris, as did Bunsen ten years r t bt n nd later. Gay-Lussac had, in turn, been a pupil of Lavoisier's r d t r b tt t x collaborator, C. L. Berthollet. Indeed, most chemists today can trace their chemical genealogies back to either Berzelius, d. . M CCC I. Berthollet, or to Berthollet's Parisian contemporary, A. F. Fourcroy. t r nr , J. W. Döbereiner, self-educated at Jena, did not venture r l n n . from his homeland. Other Germans who developed careers in chemistry originally studied medicine: for example, 0. L. Erdmann, editor of rn l für pr t h Ch O. B. Kuhn K l , 82 at Leipzig; N. W. Fischer at Breslau, and F. Stromeyer at t ff r n t p r ph h l r . Gottingen. L. Gmelin was trained by his father at Gottingen, and the father had been trained, in turn, by h father at Tubingen - a case of three generations of self-trained chemists within the same family. tl p f th f r t d t r l th n h tr . The first German doctoral degree in modern experimental science was awarded to Gustav Rose by the University of ing frequency, to turn their attention toward Germany. Berlin in 1821, where he had studied mineralogy. The follow- Who were these students from America and Great Britain ing year, his brother, Heinrich Rose, was granted the first who ventured abroad to immerse themselves in an academic doctorate in chemistry at Kiel. His dissertation, based upon atmosphere where instruction was carried out in a foreign work which must have been conducted in Berzelius' labora- tongue? From what home institutions did they originate? tory, was entitled t n j nn b x n Where did they choose to study? What sort of professional t lph r . lives did they ultimately lead? Although information of this In the next ten years or so these newly trained chemists sort is well known in a few famous cases, such as Ira Remsen assumed professorships at many of the German universities: (Baltimore) and Henry Roscoe (Manchester) - to name one Mitscherlich and H. Rose at Berlin; Erdmann and Kuhn at from each country - the challenge of trying to answer some of Leipzig; Stromeyer and Wöhler in Gottingen; Liebig at Giessen these questions for the less famous as well was the motivation and L. Gmelin at Heidelberg. So began the "golden age" of behind the present study. Because much of the information on chemistry in the German university and, by the 1830's, only "German-trained" individuals has originated from secondary two of the 22 existing universities - Braunsberg and Münster sources or from anecdotal accounts, it was decided that iden- - were lacking professors of chemistry. tification of these individuals would be confined to those In America and Great Britain the situation was quite differ- students earning a German doctorate in chemistry in the period ent. Students were instructed only in lecture halls, without any between 1840 and 1914. Documentation would be limited to direct access to laboratory facilities or research opportunities. matriculation records, doctoral dissertations, and registries of Those enrolled at Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge dissertations at German universities. attended lectures presented by professors who were, for the The search was carried out in Munich, from September most part, self-taught and who had not ventured from their 1982, until August 1983, with the Deutsches Museum (DM) as home institutions. Consequently, those students who were headquarters. The library in the Research Institute of the DM, interested in advanced study in chemistry began, with increas- specializing in the history of science and technology, was a rich 4 ll. t. Ch . 4 ( 8
r f nd r l t r t r , n l d n t b l t n f d r bl . r t h nd A r n t r l St d nt n Ch tr t t t n p bl h d n ll x t n G r n n v r t fr 886 G r n Un v r t , 840 4. ( . Alth h th r nv l bl f r pr v d n nf r t n f r th l t r p r d f t d , t d d n t pr v d l d t Un v r t A r n r t h t l d rt t n r tt n rl r th n th t t . C pl t r tr f d rt t n f r v n n v r t ( f th t t l f 22 x t n rl n 8 6 n th l t th nt r fr th r b nn n r v l bl nn 2 nd ld b d t d nt f l t d n b r f d rt t n r l 8 6 4 th r (2 8 . In t n t n , th l t n f th r n th Erl n n 0 r tr n l d d th r r ph l r n, h h th r r b r 2 6 4 th r b rthpl r th l t n fr h h th tr v l d t G n 4 G r n t nd rt th r t d . h l t n f d rt G tt n n 06 4 4 t n n h tr p l d b lt n ( nd p bl h d n Gr f ld 0 8 0 f l f r nf r t n f n b t ld n t rv ll 4 n n t l d nt f t n, b n d t n t n d d lb r 46 b t n n t n l t f th th r . h r nt b r ph l n 4 24 28 d t n r b Ell tt ( 0 rv d t d nt f f dd t n l K l 4 A r n h tr d t r l t d nt . r x n t n f Kön b r 0 th nd r r n d r bl n b r f nd v d l pz 2 48 00 r d nt f d, n th th nf r t n b t th r M rb r 8 4 22 pl nd d t f t d nd th t tl f th r d rt t n . M n h n 2 4 v r, th t fr tf l r f nf r t n t 6 2 8 fr d r t x n t n f r n l d rt t n , h d n Str b r 8 thr l br r n M n h: th n th M, n th Un v r üb n n 0 2 tätb bl th (U , nd n th r h St t b bl th Würzb r 4 6 ( S . At b th th M nd th U l br r , I ll d t U ( 2 2 4 x n th d rt t n ll t n nd th r b rt t th r tt n b n n G r n t d nt . Alth h th h ld n t th O A 88 400 88 M r l t d, th n b r f d rt t n n th U l br r n h tr l n ppr h ,000, r tt n v r th t p r d fr 820 nt l b t 20 nd, n t pr n l , t ( hn l Un v r t n A h n, r t dt, K rl r h , nd f th d rt t n h h I d nt f d r f nd n th U M n h n. h ld n . St ll th r r v nt ll l t d thr h th t l n th l br r f th S . b Annalen der Chemie. n r tr f d t r x n n nd v d ll th 4,000 d rt t n , I t t d lb r h t b n p bl h d, t n r t bl t d nt f th r tt n b En l h p n nd v d l . nf r t n fr th Ar h v . I r t f l t r. rt n nt p f d rt t n , n l t d, r ph t p W rt, Un v r t Ar h v t t d lb r , f r v r f n th d, n l d n th t tl p , n l d nt p , nd b r nt n f d t r l d r th t d rt t n b t n r ph l t h f th th r, th l tt r t ll , b t n t 8 4 nd 886. h r lt f th r h v b n p bl h d l , h v n b n n l d d n th d nt. n th f r f b bl r ph b th M (2 nd r t r d n h t f th l br r r h th d nt f t n f f l f r n r p t r d . An En l h d t n f th l t 800 d rt t n r tt n b En l h p n b bl r ph l rr ntl b n pr p r d p rt f th n nd v d l , ll d v d d b t n A r n nd r t h r , Data Sources in th t r f Ch tr , t b p b ( bl . h d rt t n ll pr v d d nf r t n l h d b th v n f th t r f Ch tr f th b t th th r n nd b rthpl ( r h r d n , A r n Ch l S t . n v r t , th r th d t r t rd d, th t tl f An x n t n f th r lt n d t pr v d n nt r t d rt t n nd th r r h d r t r (" t rv t r" . S n p r p t v n f r n t d nt t d n h tr n f th nf r t n, f n fr th d rt t n, ld b G r n n th th nt r nd ff r t nt t v n r t p d t th r thr h v l bl nd r r ( 20 , f th t n p d rl r. It p rt l rl nt r t h h r p rt l rl f l f r t d nt t G n ( 4, n t n t b th th l r t nd d ff r n b t n th 20 , G tt n n ( 6, , nd pz ( . W th f x p A r n nd r t h t d nt . t n , rl d t r l t d nt t G n nd d lb r d d n t n l f r, l t r rd l f r, r d t f St. r t d rt t n b t r th r p bl h d th r r lt , ll n Andr , th f r t En l h p n t d nt t rn ll. t. Ch . 4 ( 8
G r n d t r l d r n h tr , h h r nt d n l r n b r f A r n rn d th r d r . Wöhl r 840 t G n nd r th d r t n f b r hl 20 rv d r r h d r t r f r 20 A r n v r 0 r r ft r th f r t G r n d t r l d r n h rn tr h d r r. ll r n z d übn r, Wöhl r ll b n r nt d t nr h . h f r t A r n t pl t nd r, h , n br f r p r d, l d r t d th h tr d t r t n G r n n nt Ort d rt t n f 20 A r n . W ll h rv d nt r , n t v f M x . A t d nt f b t G n, h f r n th r 20 A r n t d nt v r 2 r r r nd d p t d n th f l th r ph f b l b r t r d ll n d r t d d t r l d rt t n f A r n n b r t h ld n 842 (22 , th r th t h r v d h 20 r p r d. An nt f th xp r n f n A r d r ( . Ch rl M r W th r ll, n t v f h l d lph , n nd r ll n t t l p bl h d n 42 (2 . tt th f r t U.S. t z n t pl t d r n G r n , nd . M r l d r t d r r h f r n th r n n A r h v n r v d h d t r t t G n n 848. n d r n th r r th r br f r r t G tt n n. A th t f b t d nt , n th r l f r, Ort b d t r l t d nt t G n r v r h l n r W th r ll r t d rt t n , b t r th r p bl h d th n l r t h: 2 , p r d t thr A r n , n th h rt r lt f th r r n b Annalen. A r n p n f r . Alth h n n rv d t rv t r f r t d nt f Wöhl r t G tt n n, W ll S th Cl r nd nl f v t d nt ( f h f r r r t h d r n h l n t n Sp ld n M nr , r th f r t t r t d rt r r t d lb r , h nd K pp j ntl d r t d d rt t n t n , n 8 2, p rt f th f lf ll nt f th r r nt f r b ht t d nt , x f h r A r n . h En l h th d t r t . In d nt ll , b th f th d rt t n r p n d t r l t d nt tr n d b tt n üb n n nd r tt n n En l h, pr v l xt nd d t nl f ( b t Str b r nd b . M r n d lb r r b t ll % f th n rl 800 A r n nd r t h d t r l t d nt d v d d b t n A r n nd r t h. A. W. f nn d r n th 0 r p r d v r d. En l h p n t d nt t rl n r pr d n ntl A r r v r r, x pt t , n th p r d fr 842 4, n ( 8 f 2 , r O t ld t pz ( f 2 . E l d t r l d r r rd d t n r r En l h p h r d r t d pr d n ntl r t h t d nt t Würzb r n t d nt . h n b r pl t n d r n r d r ( 2 f n v n r b t nl A r n t rl n ( 2 l rl nt l th 8 0 , h n t b n t t p r ff, tr nd h h f 6 n 22 r . ntz h, d r n r l t v l br f r r t nd bt dl r fl t th d v l p nt b th p r d f pp r Würzb r nd pz , d r t d d rt t n f 2 En l h t n t f r dv n d tr n n n th U.S. nd r t n. Of th 22 p n f r n r , 2 b n r t h. v r, th r rd f r G r n n v r t n x t n n th ddl f th th t t l n b r f En l h p n d t r l t d nt t . nt r , f th nf rr d d t r l d r n En l h W l n , h nt r t t n A r n nd 2 r t h p n h tr t d nt , lth h t v r n xt nt , t d nt t Würzb r nd pz . rh p h xp r n r n n fr h h f 4 d r t G tt n n t j t n pr v t t nt t r f rd t rv rd, d r n th r d r h t Gr f ld nd Kön b r ( bl . 8 8 6, d h p th t t th r n n n h h f n t t t n v r d n d r bl th th t f r n l nd (24 . p r d, nd A r n nd r t h t d nt h d th r n h p t n th h tr pr f n n A r nd pr f r n . G n, Gött n n, d lb r , nd M rb r r t n x rt d b th G r n tr n d t d nt n b r f v r t h n th 840 nd 8 0 . Onl n th d b f ll n th r r r ft r th r t rn d h . h 8 0 r d r rd d f r th f r t t t rl n, r b r , pz , t , Str b r , b n n, nd bl 2. tr b t n f A r n nd r t h Ch tr St d nt Würzb r nd n th 880 t nn, r l , Erl n n, A n th p n G r n Un v r t , 840 4. ll , n , K l, nd M n h. Of th n rl 800 En l h p n h tr t d nt h pl t d d t r l d r , Un v r t % A r n % r t h v r h lf t d d t n f f r n v r t : G tt n n, pz , d lb r , nd rl n. In , A r n nd r t h Gött n n 2 28 t d nt h d tr n pr f r n f r rt n n t t t n , pz 4 th th A r n n r ll pr f rr n Gött n n, rl n, d lb r 4 nd r b r nd th r t h pr f rr n G n, n , nd rl n 2 Würzb r ( bl 2 . Würzb r 2 88 It h b n p bl t d nt f th r r h d r t r f r % M n h n 4 f th d t r l t d nt , nl fr n l d nt p r b r 6 n th d rt t n . S f th nd r r nt n d G n 8 rl r h v l b n h lpf l n th r rd. A f G r n Str b r 4 h tr f lt t nd t d n nt nt r f th A r n 4 86 n t d nt . S v r l f th r t G tt n n, h r h
6 ll. t. Ch . 4 ( 8 pr f n l l v f n f th h v b n l n d fr th pr f r h p n h tr t Oxf rd, h h h h ld nt l 8 . nd r r lr d t d, ll fr American At Un v r t C ll , n th r b t d nt, Al x nd r Men of Science, Appleton's Cyclopedia, Poggendorff, nd W ll n (G n, 84 , p d th pr f r h p fr nd v d l b r ph nd b t r . Unf rt n t l , t h 8 88 , b n th r t G r n , l n t b n p bl t tr th b nt l v f ll f th . b t d nt (G n, 84 , h h d d d t n rl . S v r l f th A r n tr n d n th 8 0 nd 860 r Ed rd r n l nd, t d nt f n n t M rb r ( 84 , ll d d r n th C v l W r. Oth r b rn t v n d f r t f ll d th pr f r h p t O n C ll (l t r Un v r t t n l n t t t n , ft n th fr h h th h d r v d f M n h t r nd v nt ll d d f nn t th th r nd r r d t d r . Sp f x pl r pr v d d l C ll . r n l nd r t M n h t r, nr b th Un v r t f nn lv n , h r S l . S dd r , n f n n t d nt t d lb r ( 8 4 , (G tt n n, 8 nd Ed r h S th (G tt n n, 8 6 nd v r nfl nt l n d v l p n th d t r l pr r n r f lt b r C l b , th Ch rl A. ( h tr , d l d ft r th r r h t h n f n n nd Gött n n, 8 nd Ch rl . Ch ndl r (G tt n n, 8 6 A h r t b (26 . h , n t rn, b th d l f r r d t C ll , th W ll S . Cl r (Gött n n, 8 2 nd El j h . pr r thr h t r t n. All f th th h t , x rr (G tt n n, pt n , l 8 nd MI , rv d t r th A t . r d nt f th G ll ( pz , Ch l S t 8 0 , Arth r A. f nd n. ( pz , M n h l n 8 0 , M. S tl nd, th G r rt n (G tt n n tr n n n, 8 , S n t bl ll. l . M ll n 6 f S rv n pr f ( pz , 8 0 , r t Ed nb r h
Il n Ipr (. nd nj n E. rl M WIl 0 " 4 K r . fr 8 8 868 lb tt ( r b r , n l f r, 00 . At hn l t d nt f p n Un v r b (G n, t , f nd d n 840 . r n d 8 6, Ir n b l b r t r t G n f v r t n r t h t d nt . t nt r p bl l f , (G tt n n, 8 0 rv n dv r nd h t nt, r n . M r (G tt n n, 8 , d v l t r n Alb rt, n r n z r f th l C ll f Ch p d th h tr n tr t n l pr r , nd n l t r tr nd, v nt ll , b r f rl nt. r 0 r , rv d pr d nt f th Un v r t . b nn n n 8 , r d r nn h ld th pr f r h p t A n rv t v t t f th n t t t n b n rv d b Gl . nn h d v t d b n G n nd th rl n r t n, G r n tr n d A r n n b r rd d th d t r t n 842 n th b f r r h p b ll v r 0, nd th v r fr rl , ll t bl h d l h d n th Annalen, b t pp r ntl rr d t t Gl . h l , h th Un v r t f nn lv n , t l b r l rt h r t rn n h t n A r nd r t n, nd bt ll , h A h r t, W ll , nd l t, t n l dl nth t v r th r t l t n tr n n n th l b r f nd d t hn l h l , h th C l b S h l f t r f G r n , r nx t p n th r pr f n l M n nd MI , t th l nd r nt n t t t n f nd d ft r th h r t . A th h lp d f nd n d p rt nt f h tr C v l W r. S v r l l rv d pr d nt f th A r n nd n n t t t n , th l n r d th r n t d nt Ch l S t (2 . t nt n th l b t d n n G r n . El j h rr , In ntr t t th lt t d nd v r t f h l n th d t r l t d nt f Wöhl r t G tt n n ( 8 , r t rn d Un t d St t , nt r f r h h r l rn n n Gr t r t n r t A h r t C ll pr f r fr 868 0 . r n th f n n b r. In 840, n En l nd, nl thr n t t t n t n r , h nt 28 t d nt br d, ll f th t G tt n n r t v t f r h tr n tr t n: C br d , Ox r th n h lf f h rn d d t r l d r . M n th r f rd, nd Un v r t C ll , nd n. Oth r t d nt l rn n x pl ld b t d f th tr nd, h h t pl n h tr d d p rt f th r d l tr n n t n f th r t n ll. In n t n , th f l nfl n h p t l . In S tl nd, th r r f r n v r t , ll f nd d tr n , th W ll nr r n, r. (Würzb r , 882 , n th l t th nd rl 6th nt r . nj n C. r d , h n r br th r, r d r , t d d nd r h t O n n f b d t r l t d nt (G n, 8 0 , d th C ll nd th n rn d d t r l d r t Würzb r th ll. t. Ch . 4 ( 8
Hantzsch in 1897. Three generations of Franklands were rl n, . German-trained doctoral students. Besides Edward Frank- . . h nd . z , rz hn d r land, already mentioned, both his son Percy and grandson t r n nd rt t n n d r Un v r tät In l t dt nd h t Mün h n 4 2 0, Edward P. earned doctorates at Würzburg, the son under Un v r tät b bl th , Mün h n, , l . Wislicenus in 1880 and the grandson under Tafel in 1908. 8. rz hn d r nd r K r W lh l Un v r tät v S This discussion has been limited largely to the influence of r t r 8 2 b End 884 r h n n n S hr ft n, Un v r first-generation American and British students of the German tät hdr r , Str b r , 8 0. tradition. As the chemical industry began to develop, first in . . C. lt n, A S l t bl r ph f Ch tr , 4 2 Britain and later in America, it was natural that its leadership 8 , S th n n In t t t n, W h n t n, 8 0, S t n III. was assumed by many of these chemists, often second or later 0. C. A. Ell tt, r ph l t n r f A r n S n : generation. Thus, Irving Langmuir, a doctoral student of Nernst th C nt r , Gr n d, W tp rt, C , . at Gottingen, and future Nobel Prize winner, was a strong . I. S. r t n, A b bl r ph f r th h l influence in the development of research at General Electric. S n , A r n h l ph l br r , h l d lph , 82, S p Not only did the returning Americans and British exert pl nt, 8 . significant influence on the development of chemistry in their 2. G. Kr , Ch r Alb , Cöth n, 6. ( p n th homelands, but some native Germans, emigrating at a time r h v f th t h M . when the economic and social conditions were unfavorable in . W. . M l , Ed., A r n Ch t nd Ch l En their native country, became prominent chemists abroad, in- n r ACS, W h n t n, 6. cluding Charles Goessmann at the Massachusetts Agricultural 4. M. W. t r, h E r n f A r lt r l S n : Station; John Maisch at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy; t b nd th A r n , 840 880, Y l , v n, Frederick Genth at the University of Pennsylvania; William . Elderhorst at RPI, and Hermann Endemann, a student of Kolbe . . W. S rv , h l Ch tr n A r , 8 0 : at Marburg and the first editor of ACS In England, the name Or n , Gr th, nd f n t n, hn p n , lt r , . of August W. Hofmann, the first director of the Royal College 6. . . Sh , " h A r n St d nt f th Un v r t of Chemistry, (1845-1864), comes immediately to mind, along f Gött n n", G r n A r n Ann l , 0, 8, 2 4. with that of Carl Schorlemmer, who was hired by Roscoe as the . . S. n Kl t r, " r dr h Wöhl r nd h A r n first Professor of Organic Chemistry at Owens College, a p l ," . Ch . Ed ., 44, 2 , 8 0. position he held from 1874-1892 (26). 8. . S. n Kl t r, " h nn n f b r t r In tr If one could eventually learn about all 800 of the American t n n Ch tr n th U.S.A.," Ch , 4 , 2, . and British students who completed doctoral degrees in Ger- . . S. n Kl t r, " b nd h A r n St d nt ," . many before 1914, a demonstration of the strong impact on Ch . Ed ., 6, , 4 4 . chemistry communities in their native lands would be even 20. A. W n üll r, "A länd h St d r nd d r h r z more impressive than that gleaned by looking only at the first nd Ch b b n G n," t h Ap th r t n , generation. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that these 6 , 0 , 46 46 . ambassadors of chemistry, through their "Doktorväter", owed 2 . . . n , bl r ph d r rt t n n r n their professional success indirectly to that original trio of h r nd br t h r Ch r n d t h n Un v r tät n, 840 influential tutors in Stockholm and Paris. 4 t h M : Mün h n, 8 . 22. An n., "Ch Anfän d r Ch h n hn ," K lt r f r n nd t hn , 8 , 4, 2 2 2 . 2 . C. A. r n , " rnh rd ll n , 84 8, nd S . hr v rz hn d r n d n d t h n Un v r tät n A r n St d nt f h S h l f A r lt r l Ch tr ," . r h n n S hr ft n, A h r rl , rl n, 886. Ch . Ed ., 42, , 2 2 . 2. rz hn d r rl n r Un v r tät hr ft n 8 0 88 , 24. W. W l n , b n Iä f r n n, d. ,, Würzb r , K n l h Un v r tät b bl th , rl n, 8 . 22, pp. 00 2. . . M l , rz hn d r nn r Un v r tät hr ft n 2 . A. h r , . . St r h , . . C rr ll nd . d, 8 8 88 , C h n, nn, 8 . Ch tr n A r , 8 6 6, d l, 8 , pp. 4. 4. K. r tz h, rz hn d r r l r Un v r tät hr ft n 26. . E. , h f nd Exp r n f S r nr Enf ld 8 88 , r l , 0 . , M ll n, nd n, 06. . . K l r, K t l d r rt t n n nd b l t t n hr ft n d r Un v r tät G n v n 80 884, Un v r tät b bl th , G n, . r. l . n r f r f Or n Ch tr t th 6. W. S h r, bl r ph d r Un v r tät hr ft n v n ll Un v r t f p h r , rh , 0 824 W tt nb r 8 88 , t h r rl d r W n h ft n,