Charles L. Christ
Encyclopedia
Charles L. Christ (March 12, 1916 – June 29, 1980) was an American
scientist
, geochemist and mineralogist. He received his Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees from the Johns Hopkins University
, completing his Ph.D. in 1940. After receiving his degree, he worked for the General Electric Company as a research chemist in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
. In September, 1941 he returned to academia as an instructor at Wesleyan University
.From 1942-1945 he returned to Hopkins
as an instructor and Associate Director of their C.Y. War Research Laboratory. The Laboratory was responsible for developing a super-conducting bolometer
for the detection of infrared radiation. From 1946-1949 he was group leader for X-ray crystallography at the American Cyanamid Company
in Stamford, Connecticut
.
We was an employee of the U.S. Geological Survey from October, 1949 until his retirement in 1979. His research focused on minerals containing uranium
, vanadium
, and various rare elements. He was especially interested in hydrated borate
mineralsbecause of the crystal-chemical challenge they present
He was a Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University
in Washington, DC from 1956 to 1965. In 1960, he published a set of rules governing the formation of complex borate polyanions that became known as Christ's Rules. In 1965, he moved from Washington, D.C.
to the U.S. Geological Survey's offices in Menlo Park, California
.
He was a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America
and the Geological Society of America
. He was an Associate Editor for The American Mineralogist from 1955-1959. In 1972 he was a visiting professor at
the University of Hawaii
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
, geochemist and mineralogist. He received his Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees from the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, completing his Ph.D. in 1940. After receiving his degree, he worked for the General Electric Company as a research chemist in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
. In September, 1941 he returned to academia as an instructor at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
.From 1942-1945 he returned to Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
as an instructor and Associate Director of their C.Y. War Research Laboratory. The Laboratory was responsible for developing a super-conducting bolometer
Bolometer
A bolometer is a device for measuring the power of incident electromagnetic radiation via the heating of a material with a temperature-dependent electrical resistance. It was invented in 1878 by the American astronomer Samuel Pierpont Langley...
for the detection of infrared radiation. From 1946-1949 he was group leader for X-ray crystallography at the American Cyanamid Company
American Cyanamid
American Cyanamid was a large, diversified, American chemical manufacturer, founded by Frank Washburn in 1907. It was the only United States firm manufacturing the polio vaccine of the Sabin type....
in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.
We was an employee of the U.S. Geological Survey from October, 1949 until his retirement in 1979. His research focused on minerals containing uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
, vanadium
Vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery gray, ductile and malleable transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation. The element is found only in chemically combined form in nature...
, and various rare elements. He was especially interested in hydrated borate
Borate
Borates are chemical compounds which contain oxoanions of boron in oxidation state +3. The simplest borate ion, BO33−, has a trigonal planar structure. Other borates are made up of trigonal BO3 or tetrahedral BO4 structural units, sharing oxygen atoms...
mineralsbecause of the crystal-chemical challenge they present
He was a Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in Washington, DC from 1956 to 1965. In 1960, he published a set of rules governing the formation of complex borate polyanions that became known as Christ's Rules. In 1965, he moved from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to the U.S. Geological Survey's offices in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
.
He was a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America
Mineralogical Society of America
The Mineralogical Society of America is a scientific membership organization. MSA was founded in 1919 for the advancement of mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry, and petrology, and promotion of their uses in other sciences, industry, and the arts...
and the Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...
. He was an Associate Editor for The American Mineralogist from 1955-1959. In 1972 he was a visiting professor at
the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
Awards and honors
- 1959 - Rockefeller Public Service Award
- In 1977, a new thallium mineral from the Carlin, NevadaCarlin, NevadaCarlin is a city located near the western border of Elko County in northeast Nevada, west of the city of Elko. It is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area. Carlin sits along Interstate 80 at an elevation of approximately . As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,161...
gold deposit, was named Christite in his honor
Publications
- Solutions, Minerals, and Equilibria with Robert GarrelsRobert GarrelsRobert Minard Garrels was an American geochemist. Garrels applied experimental physical chemistry data and techniques to geology and geochemistry problems. The book Solutions, Minerals, and Equilibria co-authored in 1965 by Garrels and Charles L...
(1965) (2nd ed. Freeman Cooper Co, 1982 and revised ed 1990) ISBN 0-86720-148-7 (1990 ed.) - Behavior of Colorado Plateau uranium minerals during oxidation with Robert GarrelsRobert GarrelsRobert Minard Garrels was an American geochemist. Garrels applied experimental physical chemistry data and techniques to geology and geochemistry problems. The book Solutions, Minerals, and Equilibria co-authored in 1965 by Garrels and Charles L...
. U.S. Geological Survey Trace Elements Investigations Report No. 588 (1956) - Some observations on rutherfordine with Joan R. Clark. U.S. Geological Survey Trace Elements Investigations Report No. 584 (1956)
- Mineralogical applications of electron diffraction. I. Theory and techniques with Malcolm Ross. U.S. Geological Survey Trace Elements Investigations Report No. 597 (1958)
- The crystal structure of potassium metavanadate monohydrate, KVO3*H2O with Joan R. Clark and H.T. Evans, Jr. U.S. Geological Survey Trace Elements Investigations Report No 406 (1954)