Raymond K. Sheline (March 31, 1922 – February 10, 2016) was a member of the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

and spent much of his career as a professor in chemistry and physics at

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

. Sheline's research focused on spectroscopic studies of atomic nuclei and molecular structures.

Education and career

Sheline was born in

Port Clinton, Ohio Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States, located at the mouth of the Portage River on Lake Erie. The population was 6,025 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Port Clinton micropolita ...

and a graduate of Woodward High School. He studied at Bethany College in

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, where he graduated in 1943. From 1943 till 1945, he worked on the Manhattan Project as a chemist at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Sheline went to graduate school at

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and obtained his PhD in chemistry there in 1949 under the supervision of

Kenneth Pitzer Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer (January 6, 1914 – December 26, 1997) was an American physical and theoretical chemist, educator, and university president. He was described as "one of the most influential physical chemists of his era" whose work "span ...

. His PhD thesis dealt with

vibrational spectroscopy Infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy or vibrational spectroscopy) is the measurement of the interaction of infrared radiation with matter by absorption, emission, or reflection. It is used to study and identify chemical substances or functio ...

of polyatomic molecules. Sheline taught at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

for two years after his PhD. From 1951 to 1999, Sheline was a professor in chemistry and physics at Florida State University. Between 1966 and 1967, he was named Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor. Sheline was a three-time

Guggenheim fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated d ...

and a Fulbright scholar.

Personal life

Sheline married Yvonne Sheline in 1951, they have seven children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheline, Raymond 1922 births 2016 deaths People from Port Clinton, Ohio American spectroscopists Bethany College (West Virginia) alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni Manhattan Project people Florida State University faculty University of Chicago faculty American nuclear physicists Chemical physicists