John Pople
John Pople
Sir John Anthony Pople, KBE FRS was a theoretical chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Walter Kohn in 1998 for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth31 October 1925
branches modern scientist
I had changed from being a mathematician to a practicing scientist. I was increasingly embarassed that I could no longer follow some of the more modern branches of pure mathematics.
benefit english-scientist love
Like many other Laureates, I have benefit immeasurably from the love and support of my wife and children.
english-scientist textbook
I found a discarded textbook on calculus in a wastebasket and read it from cover to cover.
chemistry close community depended english-scientist field hugely quantum work
My contribution to quantum chemistry has depended hugely on work by others. The international community in our field is a close one.
bristol cambridge employment english-scientist industrial leave
I had to leave Cambridge and take up industrial employment for a period. This was with the Bristol Aeroplane Company. There was little to do there.
developed emerging english-scientist interest magnetic molecular nuclear powerful studying technique
I developed an interest in nuclear magnetic resonance, which was then emerging as a powerful technique for studying molecular structure.
age records chemistry
I was approaching the age of 40 with a substantial publication record, but had not yet held any position in a chemistry department.
regret decision leaving
Leaving England was a painful decision, and we still have some regrets about it. However, at that time, the research environment for theoretical chemistry was clearly better in the U.S.
jobs home progress
Life with a scientist who is often changing jobs and is frequently away at meetings and on lecture tours is not easy. Without a secure home base, I could not have made much progress.
development molecular-biology biology
I was a close observer of the developments in molecular biology.
running moving age
From an early age I was told that I was expected to do more than continue to run a small business. Education was important and seen as a way of moving forward.
numbers years lists
Looking through the list of earlier Nobel laureates, I note a large number with whom I became acquainted and with whom I interacted during those years as they passed through Cambridge.
opportunity past years
I have had many opportunities to visit universities all over the world in the past 50 years.
summer children pittsburgh
Our children were mostly brought up and educated in the Churchill suburb east of Pittsburgh. Each summer, we took them back to England for an extended period.