George Houghton Gilman

George Houghton Gilman was an American chemist who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry, particularly in the development of new synthetic methods and the discovery of novel compounds, similar to the work of Robert Burns Woodward and James B. Sumner. His research was influenced by the work of Louis Pasteur and Dmitri Mendeleev, and he was a contemporary of Glenn T. Seaborg and Linus Pauling. Gilman's work had a lasting impact on the field of chemistry, with applications in pharmaceuticals, materials science, and petrochemicals, as seen in the work of DuPont and Dow Chemical Company. He was also associated with the American Chemical Society and the National Academy of Sciences.

● Early Life and Education

George Houghton Gilman was born in New York City and grew up in a family of Harvard University and Yale University graduates, including his uncle, Daniel Coit Gilman, who was the first president of Johns Hopkins University. Gilman's early education took place at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he developed an interest in chemistry and physics, similar to Ernest Lawrence and Enrico Fermi. He then attended Harvard University, where he studied under the guidance of Theodore William Richards and Charles Loring Jackson, and was influenced by the work of Marie Curie and Wilhelm Roentgen. Gilman's graduate work was done at University of Berlin, where he was exposed to the latest developments in organic chemistry by August Wilhelm von Hofmann and Emil Fischer.

● Career

Gilman began his career as a research chemist at General Electric and later moved to Iowa State University, where he became a professor of chemistry and worked alongside Gilbert N. Lewis and Irving Langmuir. His research focused on the development of new synthetic methods, particularly in the area of organometallic chemistry, which was also being explored by Henry Taube and Geoffrey Wilkinson. Gilman's work was influenced by the discoveries of Heinrich Hertz and James Clerk Maxwell, and he was a contemporary of Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. He was also associated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society.

● Research and Contributions

Gilman's research contributions were significant, and he is best known for the development of the Gilman reagent, a versatile tool in organic synthesis, which has been used in the synthesis of Vitamin B12 and Penicillin. His work on Grignard reactions and organolithium compounds was also influential, and has been applied in the production of Polyethylene and Polypropylene. Gilman's research was recognized by his peers, and he was awarded the Willard Gibbs Award and the Priestley Medal, which have also been awarded to Linus Pauling and Glenn T. Seaborg. He was also elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

● Awards and Recognition

Gilman received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to chemistry, including the Willard Gibbs Award from the American Chemical Society and the Priestley Medal from the American Chemical Society. He was also awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal from the Franklin Institute and the Perkin Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry. Gilman was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society. He was also recognized by the University of California, Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

● Personal Life

Gilman was married to Mary Bradley Gilman and had two children, George H. Gilman Jr. and Mary Gilman. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hiking and fishing in the Adirondack Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. Gilman was also a talented musician and played the Piano and the Violin, and was a member of the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and the Sigma Xi honor society, and was associated with the Harvard Club of New York City and the University Club of New York. Gilman's legacy continues to be celebrated by the American Chemical Society and the National Academy of Sciences, and his work remains an important part of the history of chemistry, alongside the work of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein.