Rudolph Pariser
Encyclopedia
Rudolph Pariser is a physical
and polymer
chemist
. He was born in Harbin, China to merchant parents. He attended the Von Hindenburg Schule in Harbin, an American Missionary School in Beijing
and American School in Tokyo
. He left for the United States just before World War II broke out.
He received his Bachelor of Science
degree
from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1944, and his Ph. D.
degree from the University of Minnesota
in physical chemistry
in 1950. From 1944 to 1946, during World War II
and shortly afterward, he served in the United States Army
. He became a naturalized
citizen
of the United States of America
in 1944.
He spent most of his career as a polymer
chemist working for DuPont
in Central Research Department at the Experimental Station
. He rose to the level of Director of Polymer Sciences, leading it during a time of great innovation. After retiring from DuPont, he formed his own consulting company.
Pariser is best known for his work with Robert G. Parr on the method of molecular orbital
computation now known (because it was independently developed by John A. Pople
) as the Pariser–Parr–Pople method
(PPP method), published both by Pariser and Parr and by Pople in almost simultaneous papers in 1953.
He married Margaret Louise Marsh on July 31, 1972.
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
and polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
chemist
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. He was born in Harbin, China to merchant parents. He attended the Von Hindenburg Schule in Harbin, an American Missionary School in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and American School in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He left for the United States just before World War II broke out.
He received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1944, 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...
degree from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in physical chemistry
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
in 1950. From 1944 to 1946, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and shortly afterward, he served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He became a naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
citizen
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
of the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1944.
He spent most of his career as a polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
chemist working for DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
in Central Research Department at the Experimental Station
DuPont Experimental Station
The DuPont Experimental Station is the largest research and development facility of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Located on the banks of the Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware, it is home to some of the most important discoveries of the modern chemical industry...
. He rose to the level of Director of Polymer Sciences, leading it during a time of great innovation. After retiring from DuPont, he formed his own consulting company.
Pariser is best known for his work with Robert G. Parr on the method of molecular orbital
Molecular orbital
In chemistry, a molecular orbital is a mathematical function describing the wave-like behavior of an electron in a molecule. This function can be used to calculate chemical and physical properties such as the probability of finding an electron in any specific region. The term "orbital" was first...
computation now known (because it was independently developed by John A. Pople
John Pople
Sir John Anthony Pople, KBE, FRS, was a Nobel-Prize winning theoretical chemist. Born in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England, he attended Bristol Grammar School. He won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1943. He received his B. A. in 1946. Between 1945 and 1947 he worked at the Bristol...
) as the Pariser–Parr–Pople method
Pariser–Parr–Pople method
In molecular physics, the Pariser–Parr–Pople method applies semi-empirical quantum mechanical methods to the quantitative prediction of electronic structures and spectra, in molecules of interest in the field of organic chemistry...
(PPP method), published both by Pariser and Parr and by Pople in almost simultaneous papers in 1953.
He married Margaret Louise Marsh on July 31, 1972.