William Standish Knowles
William Standish Knowles
William Standish Knowleswas an American chemist. He was born in Taunton, Massachusetts. Knowles was one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared half the prize with Ryōji Noyori for their work in asymmetric synthesis, specifically for his work in hydrogenation reactions. The other half was awarded to K. Barry Sharpless for his work in oxidation reactions...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth1 June 1917
CountryUnited States of America
math long study
Later in the fifties I got involved in kinetic studies using my long forgotten math background.
advised boarding point second socially strongly took
At this point I was strongly advised that I was too young socially to go to college so I took a second senior year at Andover, another boarding school.
chemist hire
In those days industry would hire any chemist that could breathe.
my-family
My family gave me the best in education.
matter my-family backgrounds
My family background was heavily slanted toward business and seafaring matters.
mother father medicine
To my father, business was the highest calling, but to my mother, medicine was the top profession.
june massachusetts born
I was born in Taunton, Massachusetts on June 1, 1917, but I actually grew up in nearby New Bedford.
math math-and-science
I was particularly good at math and science.
fall color never-forget
I'll never forget the fall colors on the Berkshires.
team class made
In those days I was terrible at athletics and never made a team, but quite easily led my class in academics.
dog years two
At the time my dog had a fungus on her chest that wouldn't heal and resisted treatment. I made an ointment with our product and it cleared up in two days. She lived to 17 years.
thinking i-can
I can't think of any relatives that ever went into science.
hands brain wells
I was one who liked to work with my hands as well as my brain.
strong math chemistry
At Harvard I majored in chemistry with a strong inclination toward math.