Oral history interview with Fred Basolo
- 2002-Sep-27
Oral history interview with Fred Basolo
- 2002-Sep-27
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Fred Basolo begins the interview discussing his arrival at Northwestern University as an inorganic chemist in 1946. At that time, organic chemistry dominated the field of chemistry, and inorganic chemistry was seen as insignificant. Over the next few years, inorganic chemistry developed into a substantial component of chemistry. Basolo played a major role in that expansion -- what he refers to as "the birth of inorganic chemistry." The formation of the Inorganic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference, which Basolo helped organize, was a key factor in inorganic chemistry's rising significance. Although there was no funding for the first conference and attendees had to pay their own travel and registration expenses, enough chemists participated to make the Inorganic GRC successful, and it developed into an annual event. Basolo describes the Inorganic GRC, as well as his heavy involvement in it, for which the conference presented him an award for his fifty years of service. Basolo also talks about his graduate studies under John C. Bailar, Jr., a coordination chemist for whom Basolo had a great deal of respect, and who instigated the first Inorganic Chemistry GRC. Following in Bailar's footsteps, Basolo specialized in coordination chemistry, and discovered the coboglobin site. Basolo also discusses his role in GRC governance, first being nominated to council, then to the board of trustees, and eventually becoming the board chairman. Basolo had concerns that the rapid growth of the organization and the Inorganic Conference could cause applicants to be turned away. Basolo ends his interview with his thoughts about the future of chemistry and GRC.
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About the Interviewers
Arthur Daemmrich is an assistant professor in the Business, Government, and International Economy Unit at Harvard Business School and a senior research fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. His research examines science, medicine, and the state, with a focus on advancing theories of risk and regulation through empirical research on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and chemical sectors. At HBS he also plays an active role in an interdisciplinary Healthcare Initiative, advancing scholarship and developing applied lessons for the business of creating and delivering health services and health-related technologies. Daemmrich was previously the director of the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He earned a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Cornell University in 2002 and has held fellowships at the Social Science Research Council/Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He has published widely on pharmaceutical and chemical regulation, biotechnology business and policy, innovation, and history of science.
Arnold Thackray founded the Chemical Heritage Foundation and served the organization as president for 25 years. He is currently CHF’s chancellor. Thackray received MA and PhD degrees in history of science from Cambridge University. He has held appointments at Cambridge, Oxford University, and Harvard University, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1983 Thackray received the Dexter Award from the American Chemical Society for outstanding contributions to the history of chemistry. He served for more than a quarter century on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the founding chairman of the Department of History and Sociology of Science and is currently the Joseph Priestley Professor Emeritus.
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| Oral history number | 0264 |
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Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Southern Illinois University (System) | B Ed | |
| 1942 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | MS | Inorganic Chemistry |
| 1943 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | PhD | Inorganic Chemistry |
Professional Experience
Rohm and Haas Company
- 1943 to 1946 Research Chemist
Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.)
- 1946 to 1948 Instructor
- 1948 to 1953 Assistant Professor
- 1953 to 1959 Associate Professor
- 1959 to 1980 Professor
- 1969 to 1972 Chairman of the Department of Chemistry
- 1980 to 1990 Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor
- 1990 to 2003 Emeritus Morrison Professor
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1954 to 1955 | Guggenheim Fellow, University of Copenhagen |
| 1961 to 1962 | Senior NSF Fellow, University of Rome |
| 1964 | Award for Research in Inorganic Chemistry, American Chemical Society (ACS) |
| 1969 | NATO Distinguished Professor, Technische Universität München |
| 1971 | North Regional Section Citation of Excellence, ACS |
| 1972 | John C. Bailar, Jr. Medal, University of Illinois |
| 1974 | Alumni Achievement Award, Southern Illinois University |
| 1975 | Award for Distinguished Service in Inorganic Chemistry, ACS |
| 1976 | Francis Patrick Dwyer Medal, University of New South Wales, Australia |
| 1977 | Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 1977 | Honorary Member, Phi Lambda Upsilon |
| 1979 | Fellow, Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science |
| 1979 | Member, National Academy of Sciences |
| 1981 | Honorary Member, Italian Chemical Society |
| 1981 | James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry, Northeastern Section, ACS |
| 1983 | President, ACS |
| 1983 | Oesper Memorial Award, ACS, Cincinnati Section |
| 1983 | Corresponding Member, Chemical Society of Peru |
| 1983 | Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| 1984 | D. Sc. (honorary), Southern Illinois University |
| 1985 | Honorary Professor, Lanzhou University, China |
| 1987 | Foreign Member, National Academy of Science, Italy |
| 1988 | Laurea honoris causa, University of Turin |
| 1988 | IX Century Medal, Bologna University |
| 1988 | Award for Research in Inorganic Chemistry, Italian Chemical Society |
| 1988 | Honorary Professor, Zhongshan University, China |
| 1990 | Harry and Carol Mosher Award, ACS, Santa Clara Valley |
| 1991 | Padova University Medal |
| 1991 | Distincion Bicentenaria, University of Los Andes in Merida |
| 1991 | Chinese Chemical Society Medal |
| 1992 | Chemical Pioneer Award, American Institute of Chemists |
| 1992 | Sigma Xi Monie A. Ferst Award |
| 1992 | Humboldt Senior U. S. Scientist Award |
| 1993 | Gold Medal Award, American Institute of Chemists |
| 1996 | First Lecturer and Medalist of the Royal Society of Chemistry Joseph Chatt Award |
| 1996 | Josiah Williard Gibbs Medal |
| 1996 | Member, Chemistry Department Hall of Fame, Southern Illinois University |
| 1997 | Laurea honoris causa, University of Palermo, Sacconi Memorial Lecture |
| 2000 | Obelisk Leadership Award, Southern Illinois University |
| 2001 | Joseph Priestly Medal |
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Complete transcript of interview
The published version of the transcript may diverge from the interview audio due to edits to the transcript made by staff of the Center for Oral History, often at the request of the interviewee, during the transcript review process.