Biographical Memoirs Volume 68 (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Herman Francis Mark
Herman Francis Mark
Pages 195-210
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From page 195... ...
Being completely ~levoid of academic snobbery, Mark was equally at home at universities and inclustrial laboratories and was most influential in the phenomenal growth of the polymer industry. Deeply concerned with establishing the study of polymers as a discrete branch of chemistry, he clesignecl the first graduate curricula in that cliscipline, foun(led a polymer journal and monograph series, and was one of the chief architects of the Polymer Section of the International Union of Pure and Appliecl Chemistry.
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From page 196... ...
On one occasion, when the Italian army capturec! Monte Ortigora and the Austrians orclerect a retreat, Mark persuaded his superior officer to allow him to leacl a counterattack in which the strategic peak was retaken in spite of a heavy loss of life.
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From page 197... ...
A full structure analysis of cellulose seemed beyond the experimental possibilities of the time, but Mark en cl Polanyi noted that the increase in the modulus of cellulose fibers on stretching seemed similar to the reinforcement of metal wires cluring coldclrawing. They embarked, therefore, on a detailecl analysis of the changes accompanying the coicI-cirawing of a zinc wire.
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From page 198... ...
Considering that Mark was originally trained as an organic chemist, it is striking how much of his effort cluring his years at KWl was clirectec3 at problems in physics, such as the natural width, the refractive index and the polarization of X rays, the Stark effect, and the Compton effect. An important milestone in Mark's career was the meeting of the GeselIschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Arzte (Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians)
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From page 199... ...
Mark reviewed his crystallographic work, stressing that important information may be gained from the unit cells and space groups, even if detailed molecular structures are not available. As for highmolecular substances, he was not yet ready to commit himself to Tong chains but suggested that the failure of ah Lances to break un ..
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From page 200... ...
. a~u Vary solve one a~racuon pattern to yield a structure in agreement with the chemical evidence the first polymer crystal structure that has survives!
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From page 201... ...
Stauclinger's highly charged emotional reaction was uncloubtecITy clue to his conviction that, having first proposed the existence of long chain molecules, he had created a new fertile field of organic chemistry and couch regard physical chemists ant! physicists who studier!
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From page 202... ...
because of his friendship with Chancellor Dollfuss who had tried to ke ep Austria inclepen clent an c!
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From page 203... ...
The work on viscose was particularly challenging because of its recent use in tire cord, which required fibers of new exacting quality stanciarcis. This led also to a close relationship with the Du Pont company, which proved important when Mark clecicled that Hawkesbury diet not offer a sufficiently broad scope for his scientific interests.
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From page 204... ...
The polymer research activities at Poly lecT in 1947 to the foundation of the Institute of Polymer Research, the first graduate program of its kincI in America. It is harct to recall tociay, when a number of distinguished programs of this kind are active at American universities, that this was highly controversial half a century ago.
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From page 205... ...
He was particularly clevoted to the Weizmann Institute, created in Palestine in 1944, before the end of WorIcT War IT, and uncler his leaclership Poly was used to procure equipment for what became in time one of the woricl's outstanding scientific centers. Advancing age clic!
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From page 206... ...
He received the Hertz Mecial in 192S, the Nichols Meclal in 1960, the Gibbs Medal in 1975, the Humbold Award in 1978, the Wolf Prize in 1979, the Perkin Mecial and the National Medal of Science in ~980, and the Michelson-MorIey Award in ~989. His personal life was deeply affected by the cleath, after a Tong struggle with angina pectoris, of his wife Mimi in 1970.
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From page 207... ...
Uber die Gitterstrucktur des Athans und Diborans.
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From page 208... ...
DerAufbau der hochmolekularen organischen Naturstoffe. Leipzig: Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft.
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