J. C. Polanyi

Dates

January 23, 1929 – present

Authorized Form of Name

Polanyi, J. C., 1929-

Additional Forms of Names

Polanyi, J. C. (John C.), 1929-

Polanyi, John, 1929-

Polanyi, John C., 1929-

Biography

Abstract

John C. Polanyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, alongside Dudley R. Herschbach and Yuan T. Lee "for their contributions concerning the dynamics of chemical elementary processes." He held positions at the National Research Council Laboratories in Ottawa, Canada, Princeton University, and the University of Toronto.

Important Dates

January 23, 1929Birth, Berlin (Germany).

1949Obtained BSc, University of Manchester, Manchester (England).

1950Obtained MSc, University of Manchester, Manchester (England).

1952Obtained PhD, University of Manchester, Manchester (England).

1952 – 1954Postdoctoral Fellow, National Research Council Laboratories, Ottawa (Ont.).

1954 – 1956Research Associate, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1956 – presentLecturer (1956-1957); Assistant Professor (1957-1960); Associate Professor (1960-1962); Professor (1957- 1974); and University Professor (1974- present), University of Toronto, Toronto (Ont.).

1959 – 1963Fellow, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

1962Awarded the Marlow Medal, Faraday Society.

1964Obtained DSc, University of Manchester, Manchester (England).

1965Awarded the Centenary Medal, British Chemical Society.

1965Awarded the Steacie Prize for Natural Sciences, E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fund.

1966Fellow, Royal Society of Canada.

1967Awarded the Norada Award, Chemical Institute of Canada.

1969Awarded Mack Award and Lectureship, Ohio State University.

1970Produced film "Concepts in Reaction Dynamics".

1970Honorary Doctorate degree, University of Waterloo.

1970Reilly Lecturer, University of Notre Dame.

1971Purves Lecturer, McGill University.

1971Fellow, Royal Society (Great Britain).

1974Philips Lecturer, Haverford College.

1974F. J. Toole Lecturer, University of New Brunswick.

1974 – 1979Officer (1974) and Companion (1979), the Order of Canada.

1975Kistiakowsky Lecturer, Harvard University.

1975Camile and Henry Dreyfus Lecturer, University of Saskatchewan.

1976Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

1976Honorary Doctorate degree, Memorial University.

1976Laird Lecturer, University of Western Ontario.

1976Awarded the Chemical Institute of Canada Medal.

1977Awarded Henry Marshall Tory Medal, Royal Society of Canada.

1977Honorary Doctorate degree, McMaster University.

1977CIL Distinguished Lecturer, Simon Fraser University.

1977Gucker Lecturer, Indiana University.

1978Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1978Remsen Award and Lectureship, American Chemical Society.

1978Jacob Bronkowski Memorial Lecturer, University of Toronto.

1979Hutchinson Lecturer, University of Rochester.

1979 – 1980Guggenheim Memorial Fellow, Guggenheim Foundation.

1980Priestley Lecturer, Pennsylvania State University.

1982Honorary Doctorate degree, Harvard University.

1982Awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry.

1982Advisory Board Member, Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Germany.

1982Barre Lecturer, University of Montreal.

1982Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Scholar, California Institute of Technology.

1983W. J. Chute Distinguished Lecturer in Chemistry, Dalhousie University.

1984Honorary Doctorate degree, St. Francis Xavier University.

1986Awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Dudley R. Herschbach and Yuan T. Lee "for their contributions concerning the dynamics of chemical elementary processes".

1986Member, Pontifical Academy of Rome.

1988Fellow, Royal Society of Edinburgh.

1988Awarded the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Prize.

1988Board Member, Ontario Laser and Lightwave Research Centre, Canada.

1989Awarded the Royal Medal, Royal Society (Great Britain).

1989Honorary Consultant, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki, Japan.

1990Honorary Doctoral degree, McGill University.

1991Board Member, Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, Canada.

1991Honorary Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom.

1991Honorary Fellow, Chemical Institute of Canada.

1992Awarded John Polanyi Lecture Award, Canadian Society of Chemistry.

Occupation

Physical chemist.

Places

Subjects

Chemical elements.

Chemical kinetics.

Physical chemistry.

Relationships

People

Family

Davidson, Anne Ferrar

Wife, married 1958.

Polanyi, Magda Elizabeth

Mother.

Polanyi, Margaret Alexandra

Daughter.

Polanyi, Michael Ferrar

Son.

Polanyi, Michael, 1891-1976

Father.