William Ripley Nichols
Encyclopedia
William Ripley Nichols was a noted American
chemist
.
, Massachusetts
, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1869, and served there as instructor and assistant professor until 1872, when he was elected professor of general chemistry, which chair he retained until his death in Hamburg, Germany.
, published numerous papers on municipal water
supplies, and was active in the pioneering work of the Lawrence Experiment Station
. He also performed research at the request of the Massachusetts
Board of Health on train ventilation, particularly of smoking cars. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, of which he was Vice President in 1885, and of the German Chemical Society.
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...
.
Early life
Nichols was born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1869, and served there as instructor and assistant professor until 1872, when he was elected professor of general chemistry, which chair he retained until his death in Hamburg, Germany.
Later life
Professor Nichols was recognized as an authority on sanitation, and particularly on water purificationWater purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
, published numerous papers on municipal water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
supplies, and was active in the pioneering work of the Lawrence Experiment Station
Lawrence Experiment Station
The Lawrence Experiment Station, now known as the Senator William X. Wall Experiment Station, was the world's first trial station for drinking water purification and sewage treatment...
. He also performed research at the request of the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Board of Health on train ventilation, particularly of smoking cars. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, of which he was Vice President in 1885, and of the German Chemical Society.
Selected works
- Compendious Manual of Qualitative Analysis, by Charles W. Eliot and Frank H. Storer, with Nichols' revisions, 1872.
- An Elementary Manual of Chemistry, abridged from Eliot and Storer, New York, 1S72.
- Water Supply, mainly from a Chemical and Sanitary Standpoint, 1883.
- Experiments in General Chemistry, with Lewis M. Norton, Boston : private printing, 1884.