Julian M. Sturtevant
Julian M. Sturtevant | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 9, 1908 New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 12, 2005 (aged 97) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Columbia University Yale University |
| Known for | Biothermodynamics |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Thermochemistry |
| Institutions | Yale University |
| Doctoral students | Kenneth Breslauer |
Julian Munson Sturtevant (August 9, 1908 – August 12, 2005)[1] was an American chemist. He was a professor of chemistry and molecular biophysics at Yale University.[2]
Biography
Sturtevant was born in 1908, in New Jersey. His parents were Edgar Howard Sturtevant, who taught classics and linguistics at Columbia and Yale and founded the Linguistic Society of America, and his wife Bessie. His great-grandfather, Julian Monson Sturtevant, was the second president of Illinois College, and his uncle, Alfred Sturtevant, constructed the first genetic map of a chromosome in 1911 and was a recipient of the National Medal of Science.[2] He was a descendant of Samuel Sturtevant, who was one of the settlers in Plymouth Colony.[1]
Sturtevant obtained his B.A. from Columbia University (1927) and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Yale (1931), and joined Yale's faculty that year.[3] He chaired the department of chemistry at Yale (1959–1962), and continued to teach there until his retirement in 1977.[2] Sturtevant was known for applying thermochemistry to the study of biology, whereby he pioneered the collection of kinetic data for studying organic chemical reactions and designed unique calorimeters that allowed for more accurate heat measurements long before high-precision calorimeters came on the market.[4] Rutgers professor Kenneth Breslauer credited Sturtevant for having "practically founded the field of biothermodynamics."[5]
For his pioneering work in biochemical thermodynamics, Sturtevant was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1973.[4] He also received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1955.[6]
Sturtevant was married and had two children. His son, Bradford Sturtevant, was a professor at the California Institute of Technology.[7] Sturtevant died on August 12, 2005, at age 97.[2]
References
- ^ a b Crothers, Donald M. (2007-03-01). "In memory of Julian Munson Sturtevant". Biophysical Chemistry. Julian Sturtevant Memorial Issue. 126 (1): 5–8. doi:10.1016/j.bpc.2006.03.014. ISSN 0301-4622.
- ^ a b c d "Yale Bulletin and Calendar". archives.news.yale.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ "Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ a b "Julian M. Sturtevant". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ Breslauer, Kenneth J. (2007-03-01). "Julian Sturtevant: Scientific giant, warm humanist, social activist, nature lover, gentle teacher, kind friend". Biophysical Chemistry. Julian Sturtevant Memorial Issue. 126 (1): 9–10. doi:10.1016/j.bpc.2006.03.016. ISSN 0301-4622.
- ^ "Julian M. Sturtevant". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
- ^ Zhang, Youxue; Mader, Heidy; Phillips, Jeremy; Sparks, Steve; Brodsky, Emily; Kanamori, Hiroo; Shepherd, Joe; Kieffer, Sue (2001). "Bradford Sturtevant, 1933–2000". Bulletin of Volcanology. 63 (8): 569–571. ISSN 0258-8900.