John Douglass Ferry (May 4, 1912 – October 18, 2002) was a Canadian-born American

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

noted for development of surgical products from

blood plasma Blood plasma is a light Amber (color), amber-colored liquid component of blood in which blood cells are absent, but which contains Blood protein, proteins and other constituents of whole blood in Suspension (chemistry), suspension. It makes up ...

and for studies of the chemistry of large molecules.New York Times: Dr. J.D. Ferry Wins Prize; Wisconsin Chemist Honored for Study of Large Molecules; June 27, 1946
/ref>National Academy of Sciences (NAS); Biographical Memoirs: V. 90 (2009); John Douglass Ferry; by Robert F. Landel, Michael W. Mosesson, and John L. Schrag
/ref>
Along with Williams and Landel, Ferry co-authored the work on time-temperature superposition in which the now famous WLF equation first appeared. The

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

called Ferry "a towering figure in

polymer science Polymer science or macromolecular science is a subfield of materials science concerned with polymers, primarily synthetic polymers such as plastics and elastomers. The field of polymer science includes researchers in multiple disciplines inclu ...

". The

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

said that he was "undoubtedly the most widely recognized research pioneer in the study of motional dynamics in macromolecular systems by

viscoelastic In materials science and continuum mechanics, viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both Viscosity, viscous and Elasticity (physics), elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation (engineering), deformation. Viscous mate ...

techniques".

Education

Ferry was born in

Dawson City Dawson City is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest municipality in Yukon. History Prior t ...

Yukon Territory Yukon () is a territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s westernmost territory and the smallest ...

, Canada, and attended a one-room school in

Murray, Idaho Murray is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in the Northwestern United States, northwest United States, located in Shoshone County, Idaho. It is approximately north of Wallace, Idaho, Wallace along Dobson Pass Road. Prichard ...

. At age 19, Ferry received his bachelor of arts degree at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

in 1932. Three years later, he received his Ph.D at Stanford and became a research assistant at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station.

Career

In 1937, Ferry was an instructor of biochemical sciences at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. He was also a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard. He became an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry of the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

in 1946 and was made a full professor the following year. Ferry was chairman of the Department of Chemistry at

from 1959 to 1967. He was a founding member of the Rheology Research Center at Wisconsin. In 1973 Ferry was a

Farrington Daniels Farrington Daniels (March 8, 1889 – June 23, 1972) was an American physical chemist who is considered one of the pioneers of the modern direct use of solar energy. Biography Daniels was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 8, 1889. Daniel ...

Research Professor.

Professional memberships

He was affiliated with the following organizations: *

member * Chairman of the Committee on Macromolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council * President of the Society of Rheology

Awards

Ferry received the following notable awards and distinctions: * Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry of the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

* Bingham Medal of the Society of Rheology *

Colloid Chemistry A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others exten ...

Award of the

* High Polymer Physics Prize of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

* Colwyn medal in 1971 of the Institution of the Rubber Industry * Witco Award in Polymer Chemistry of the

* Technical Award of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers *

Charles Goodyear Medal The Charles Goodyear Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society#Organization, American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. Established in 1941, the award is named after Charles Goodyear, the discoverer of vulcanization, ...

of the Rubber Division of the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferry, John D. 1912 births 2002 deaths People from Dawson City Stanford University alumni Canadian chemists 20th-century American chemists University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Scientists from Madison, Wisconsin Polymer scientists and engineers Fellows of the American Physical Society Canadian emigrants to the United States Presidents of the Society of Rheology