Melvin Spencer Newman
Encyclopedia
Melvin Spencer Newman was an American
chemist
, best known for inventing the Newman projection
. He was born in New York City
, but shortly after his family moved to New Orleans
, Louisiana
. When he was 14, they moved back to New York, where he attended Riverdale County School. From 1925 to 1932 he attended Yale University
, where he obtained his B.A.
Magna cum laude in 1929 and his Ph.D
in 1932, under the direction of Professor Rudolph J. Anderson. After postdoctoral
stays at Yale, Columbia University
and Harvard University
, he began his independent career as an instructor at The Ohio State University, where he would remain for the rest of his life. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1940 and to full professor in 1944. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences
in 1956. Newman received numerous awards, including the American Chemical Society
(ACS) Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
in 1961, the Morley Medal given by the Cleveland
, Ohio
section of the ACS in 1969, the Wilbur Lucius Cross
Medal by Yale in 1975, an honorary doctorate by the University of New Orleans
in 1975, the Columbus
section of the ACS award in 1976, and the Joseph Sullivant Medal by Ohio State University
in 1976. In addition, the Newman projection
- which allows organic chemists to represent different conformations of molecules in space - was introduced by the chemist.
Melvin Newman was an avid golf
er.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, best known for inventing the Newman projection
Newman projection
A Newman projection, useful in alkane stereochemistry, visualizes chemical conformations of a carbon-carbon chemical bond from front to back, with the front carbon represented by a dot and the back carbon as a circle . The front carbon atom is called proximal, while the back atom is called distal...
. He was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, but shortly after his family moved to New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. When he was 14, they moved back to New York, where he attended Riverdale County School. From 1925 to 1932 he attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he obtained his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Magna cum laude in 1929 and his Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1932, under the direction of Professor Rudolph J. Anderson. After postdoctoral
Postdoctoral researcher
Postdoctoral research is scholarly research conducted by a person who has recently completed doctoral studies, normally within the previous five years. It is intended to further deepen expertise in a specialist subject, including acquiring novel skills and methods...
stays at Yale, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, he began his independent career as an instructor at The Ohio State University, where he would remain for the rest of his life. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1940 and to full professor in 1944. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1956. Newman received numerous awards, including the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
(ACS) Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
in 1961, the Morley Medal given by the Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
section of the ACS in 1969, the Wilbur Lucius Cross
Wilbur Lucius Cross
Wilbur Lucius Cross, Ph. D. was an American educator and political figure who was the 71st Governor of Connecticut for eight years.-Biography:Born in 1862 in Mansfield, Connecticut, Cross graduated from Yale University Wilbur Lucius Cross, Ph. D. (April 10, 1862 – October 5, 1948) was an American...
Medal by Yale in 1975, an honorary doctorate by the University of New Orleans
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
in 1975, the Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
section of the ACS award in 1976, and the Joseph Sullivant Medal by Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1976. In addition, the Newman projection
Newman projection
A Newman projection, useful in alkane stereochemistry, visualizes chemical conformations of a carbon-carbon chemical bond from front to back, with the front carbon represented by a dot and the back carbon as a circle . The front carbon atom is called proximal, while the back atom is called distal...
- which allows organic chemists to represent different conformations of molecules in space - was introduced by the chemist.
Melvin Newman was an avid golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
See also
- the Newman-Kwart rearrangementNewman-Kwart rearrangementThe Newman–Kwart rearrangement is a type of rearrangement reaction in which the aryl group of an O-aryl thiocarbamate, ArOCNMe2, migrates from the oxygen atom to the sulfur atom, forming an S-aryl thiocarbamate, ArSCNMe2...
, a reaction named after Newman and Harold Kwart