Oscar Knefler Rice

Biography

Abstract

Oscar Rice was Kenan Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1975-1978). Other institutional affiliations included University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University. His research interests included unimolecular reaction-rate theory, predissociation, diffuse spectra, colloid stability, and surface tension.

Important Dates

February 12, 1903Birth, Chicago (Ill.).

1924Obtained BS, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1926Obtained PhD in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1926 – 1927Associate in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.

1927 – 1929National Research Council (NRC) Fellow, California Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley.

1929 – 1930National Research Council (NRC) Fellow, University of Leipzig.

1930 – 1935Instructor in Chemistry, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1931Lecturer, Princeton University.

1935 – 1939Research Associate, University of California, Berkeley.

1936 – 1978Associate Professor to Professor of Chemistry (1936-1959); Kenan Professor of Chemistry (1959-1975); and Kenan Professor Emeritus of Chemistry (1975-1978), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill (N.C.).

1946 – 1947Principal Chemist, Oak Ridge Clinton Laboratories.

1958Member, Consultant Panel, Tennessee Valley Authority.

1958 – 1961Member, Advisory Panel on Chemistry, National Science Foundation.

1964Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1967 – 1972Member, Chemistry Panel, Army Research Office, United States Army.

May 7, 1978Death, Chapel Hill (N.C.).

Occupation

Physical chemist.

Places

Birth

Chicago (Ill.)

Undergraduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Employment

Cambridge (Mass.)

Chapel Hill (N.C.)

Death

Chapel Hill (N.C.)

Subjects

Chemistry.

Molecular chemistry.

Physical chemistry.

Relationships

People

Family

Rice, Hope Ernestyne Sherfy

Wife. Married in 1947.

Rice, Oscar Guido

Father.

Rice, Thekla Knefler

Mother.

Advisors & Collaborators

Gibson, G. E. (George Ernest),

PhD advisor at University of California, Berkeley, "Studies in the theory of colloid and surface chemistry."

Jaffe, Hans H.

Advised by Rice at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Marcus, Rudolph A. (Rudolph Arthur), 1923-

Advised by Rice at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Solomon, Arthur K. (Arthur Kaskel), 1912-2002

Advised by Rice at Harvard University.

Colleagues

Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978

Both employed at Harvard University.

Giauque, William F. (William Francis), 1895-1982

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kirkwood, John Gamble, 1907-1959

Both employed at Harvard University.

Kistiakowsky, George B. (George Bogdan), 1900-1982

Both employed at Harvard University.

Loeb, Leonard B. (Leonard Benedict), 1891-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Mayer, Joseph Edward, 1904-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Tolman, Richard C. (Richard Chace), 1881-1948

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Institutions

Major Positions

Harvard University. Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Instructor.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Principal Chemist.

Princeton University. Department of Chemistry

Lecturer.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Chemistry

Obtained BS (1924) and PhD (1926). National Research Council (NRC) Fellow; Associate in Chemistry; and Research Associate.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Department of Chemistry

Associate Professor to Professor; Kenan Professor of Chemistry; and Kenan Emeritus Professor of Chemistry.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

California Institute of Technology. Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

National Research Council (NRC) Fellow.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Member, Advisory Panel on Chemistry.

Tennessee Valley Authority

Member, Consultant Panel.

United States. Army

Member, Chemistry Panel, Army Research Office.

Universität Leipzig (1409-1953)

National Research Council (NRC) Fellow.

Resources

Published Resources

Author

Electronic structure and chemical binding; with special reference to inorganic chemistry, by Oscar Knefler Rice …

Subject

"Oscar Knefler Rice: 1903-1978", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences