Magazine Readers Honor Three Current Professors

Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN) has named Emery Professor of Organic Chemistry Elias J. Corey, Baird Professor of Science Dudley R. Herschbach '54 and Loeb Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus Frank H. Westheimer as three of the Top 75 Contributors to the Chemical Enterprise.

The winners were chosen by the magazine's readers, who were asked to nominate their choices for the top chemists in the world, living or dead, in celebration of C&EN's 75th anniversary.

Herschbach, who won the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry, said he was "surprised and flattered but also embarrassed" by this most recent honor.

Westheimer said he was elated to be in the company of such distinguished scientists, many of whom he called his "scientific heroes."

Westheimer is a recipient of the 1986 National Medal of Science.

Corey, a 1990 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was more critical of the award and what it meant than his two colleagues.

Corey called the selection a "popularity contest" by the American Chemical Society. He said the award "did not make a lot of difference."

Most of the winners were Americans despite many notable contributions by European scientists.

Of the 75 chemists listed, only eight are currently affiliated with non-American institutions.

"The foreign chemists did not get fair recognition," Westheimer said.

Herschbach said he wished more of his colleagues had been recognized. "There are amazing people currently teaching at Harvard that are not on this list," he said.

However, of "C&EN's Top 75," 22 scholars are affiliated with Harvard, giving Harvard the highest number of winners of any university.

Several of the recipients received both their B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard including Roger Adams '09 and former Harvard President James B. Conant '19, who was also a Crimson editor.

Westheimer said Harvard yielded such a high number of winners because of the work of Conant and Louis F. Fieser, another winner.

"The department has done a superior job of teaching over the last 75 years," he said.

Herschbach praised both the undergraduate and graduate students for their commitment to their study and "wide range of talents."

Corey, Herschbach and Westheimer are all active members of the Harvard community.

Corey taught Chemistry 115 last semester and will be on leave for the spring to continue his research. Herschbach, a popular Chem 10 professor, will be teaching a graduate course, Chem 24, next semester. He called last semester's Chem 10 class "the best ever."

"Myself and the teaching staff were dazzled," he added.

Westheimer said he wants to encourage more humanities students to learn about science. He argued that science is a large, though unrecognized, part of everyday culture.

"I would like questions about technology to be part of a Harvard education for everyone, including music and English students," he said

Herschbach praised both the undergraduate and graduate students for their commitment to their study and "wide range of talents."

Corey, Herschbach and Westheimer are all active members of the Harvard community.

Corey taught Chemistry 115 last semester and will be on leave for the spring to continue his research. Herschbach, a popular Chem 10 professor, will be teaching a graduate course, Chem 24, next semester. He called last semester's Chem 10 class "the best ever."

"Myself and the teaching staff were dazzled," he added.

Westheimer said he wants to encourage more humanities students to learn about science. He argued that science is a large, though unrecognized, part of everyday culture.

"I would like questions about technology to be part of a Harvard education for everyone, including music and English students," he said