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Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as SubjectJoseph Edward Mayer
Dates
February 5, 1904 – October 15, 1983
Authorized Form of Name
Mayer, Joseph Edward, 1904-
Biography
Abstract
Joseph Mayer was Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at University of California, San Diego (1972-1983). Other institutional affiliations include University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Johns Hopkins University. His research included the thermodynamics of ionic crystals and the statistical mechanical theory of imperfect gases and solurions.
Important Dates
February 5, 1904Birth, New York (N.Y.).
1924Obtained BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).
1927Obtained PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).
1927 – 1928Assistant, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).
1929 – 1930International Fellow, University of Göttingen.
1930 – 1939Associate in Chemistry (1930-1937) and Associate Professor (1937-1939), Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (Md.).
1939 – 1945Associate Professor, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).
1942 – 1960Consultant and Member, Advisory Committee, Ballistics Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, United States Army.
1945 – 1960Professor (1945-1956) and Eisendrath Professor (1956-1960), University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).
1946Member, National Academy of Sciences.
1946 – 1949Consultant, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.
1951 – 1956Chair, Division of Physical Chemistry, National Research Council.
1952 – 1956President, Commission on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
1960 – 1983Professor of Chemistry (1960-1972); Chair, Department of Chemistry (1963-1966); and Emeritus Professor of Chemistry (1972-1983), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (San Diego, Calif.).
1971 – 1983Member, Advisory Committee, Ballistics Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, United States Army.
1973 – 1974President, American Physical Society.
October 15, 1983Death.
Occupation
Physical chemist.
Places
Birth
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Employment
Subjects
Relationships
People
Family
Griffen, Margaret Gannon
Second Wife.
Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972
First wife. Married 1930.
Mayer, Peter Conrad
Son.
Proescher, Catherine
Mother.
Wentzel, Maria Ann Mayer
Daughter.
Advisors & Collaborators
Doty, Paul M., 1920-2011
Advised by Mayer at Columbia University, "The electron affinity of bromine and a study of its decomposition on hot tungsten."
Post-doc advisor at University of Göttingen, both employed at Johns Hopkins University and University of Chicago.
Helmholtz, Lindsay
Advised by Mayer at Johns Hopkins University.
Lewis, Gilbert Newton, 1875-1946
PhD advisor at University of California, Berkeley, "The influence of radiation on thermal unimolecular reactions."
Advised by Mayer at Columbia University.
Poirier, Jacques C.
Advised by Mayer at University of Chicago, "Thermodynamic functions from Mayer's theory of ionic solutions. I. Equations for thermodynamic functions. II. The stoichiometric mean ionic molar activity coefficient."
Roberts, Louis Douglas
Advised by Mayer at Columbia University, "Evidence for anomalous first order transition in the system triethyl amine-water."
Zimm, Bruno Hasbrouck, 1920-2005
Advised by Mayer at Columbia University.
Colleagues
Both employed at University of California, San Diego.
Both employed at University of California, San Diego.
Giauque, William F. (William Francis), 1895-1982
Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958
Both employed at Columbia University.
Rice, Oscar Knefler, 1903-1978
Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Urey, Harold Clayton, 1893-1981
Both employed at Columbia University and University of California, San Diego.
York, Herbert F. (Herbert Frank)
Both employed at University of California, San Diego.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Additional
Roe, Anne, 1904-1991
Institutions
Major Positions
Columbia University. Department of Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry.
Johns Hopkins University. Department of Chemistry
Associate in Chemistry and Associate Professor of Chemistry.
University of California, Berkeley. Department of Chemistry
Obtained PhD in Physical Chemistry (1927). Assistant.
University of California, San Diego. Department of Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry; Emeritus Professor of Chemistry; and Department Chair.
University of Chicago. Department of Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry and Eisendrath Professor of Chemistry.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
President.
California Institute of Technology. Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Obtained BS (1924).
International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
President, Commission on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics.
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
Consultant.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member.
National Research Council (U.S.)
Chair, Division of Physical Chemistry.
United States. Army
Consultant and Member, Advisory Committee, Ballistics Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Universität Göttingen
International Fellow.
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Joint ceremonial session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording] / 1974 February 5.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Joseph Edward Mayer papers, 1920-1983.
Mandeville Special Collections Library
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Oral history interview with Joseph Edward Mayer, 1975 January 24.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Subject
Anne Roe papers, 1949-1971 (bulk).
Library.
American Philosophical Society
105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
Journal of Chemical Physics records, 1938-1957.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with E. W. Montroll, 1983 September 26.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history joint interview with James Franck and Hertha Sponer-Franck, 1962 July 9 to 14.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Published Resources
Author
Statistical mechanics / [by] Joseph Edward Mayer ... and Maria Goeppert Mayer …
Subject
"Joseph Edward Mayer: 1904-1983", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences.