Richard C. Lord (1910–1989) was an 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 ...

best known for his work in the field of

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets electromagnetic spectra. In narrower contexts, spectroscopy is the precise study of color as generalized from visible light to all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectro ...

Academic career

Richard Collins Lord was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

on October 10, 1910. He received his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

from

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

in 1936. He spent two years, from 1936 to 1938, as a Fellow of the

United States National Research Council The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), also known as the National Academies, is a congressionally chartered organization that serves as the collective scientific national academy of the United States. The name i ...

, first at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and then at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

, Denmark. In 1942, Lord began work at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT) when the

National Defense Research Committee The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) was an organization created "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare" in the U ...

called him to serve as a technical aide and later as deputy chief in the Committee's optics division. During

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 ...

, he was involved in the development of

guided missiles A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this u ...

as well as with military applications of

infrared radiation Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

. In 1946, MIT appointed him Director of the Spectroscopy Laboratory and in 1954, Professor of Chemistry. In collaboration with George R. Harrison and J.R. Loofbourow, Lord published the widely used text ''Practical Spectroscopy'' in 1948. Lord is considered a pioneer in the use of infrared radiation for the study of

molecular structure Molecular geometry is the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms that constitute a molecule. It includes the general shape of the molecule as well as bond lengths, bond angles, torsional angles and any other geometrical parameters that det ...

. He is widely recognized for developments in the interpretation of infrared spectra of molecules in terms of their vibrational motion. He also contributed to the understanding of the cohesion of molecules by means of

hydrogen bonding In chemistry, a hydrogen bond (H-bond) is a specific type of molecular interaction that exhibits partial covalent character and cannot be described as a purely electrostatic force. It occurs when a hydrogen (H) atom, Covalent bond, covalently b ...

. His studies of the laser

Raman spectroscopy Raman spectroscopy () (named after physicist C. V. Raman) is a Spectroscopy, spectroscopic technique typically used to determine vibrational modes of molecules, although rotational and other low-frequency modes of systems may also be observed. Ra ...

proteins Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, re ...

and

nucleic acids Nucleic acids are large biomolecules that are crucial in all cells and viruses. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomer components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main classes of nucleic a ...

opened a new field of research.

Awards and non-academic positions

Lord was awarded the President's Certificate of Merit in 1948 by

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

in recognition of his work during WWII. From 1957 to 1961, he served as a member and president of the Commission of Molecular Spectroscopy of the

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...

(IUPAC), and during 1964 was president of the

Optical Society of America Optica, founded as the Optical Society of America (later the Optical Society), is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals, organizes conferences and exhibitions, and ca ...

. In 1966, he received the Award in Spectroscopy from the Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Society, and in 1967, he was made an honorary member of the Society of Applied Spectroscopy. In 1976, he was awarded the Ellis R. Lippincott Award sponsored by the

Optical Society Optica, founded as the Optical Society of America (later the Optical Society), is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals, organizes conferences and exhibitions, and ca ...

, the

Coblentz Society The Coblentz Society is a non-profit scientific organization named after William Weber Coblentz which is involved in fostering the understanding and application of vibrational spectroscopy. The Society provides education, awards and recognitions ...

and the

Society for Applied Spectroscopy The Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) is an organization promoting research and education in the fields of spectroscopy, optics, and analytical chemistry. Founded in 1958, it is currently headquartered in Albany, New York. In 2006 it had abou ...

in honor of

Ellis R. Lippincott Ellis Ridgeway Lippincott Jr. (July 6, 1920 – December 24, 1974) was an American chemist, educator, inventor, science leader, and pioneer in spectroscopy. He was a professor of chemistry at the University of Maryland from 1955-1974 and served as ...

, one of Lord's early post-doctoral students.Ellis R. Lippencott Award http://www.osa.org/aboutosa/awards/osaawards/awardsdesc/ellislippincott/default.aspx Lord served as a consultant to the Central Research Department of

DuPont Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...

between 1948 and 1980, and as editor in the field of optics for the

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology The ''McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology'' is an English-language multivolume encyclopedia, specifically focused on scientific and technical subjects, and published by McGraw-Hill Education. The most recent edition in print is the el ...

. He was a fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

. He died on April 29, 1989.

References

External links

Articles Published by early OSA Presidents
Journal of the Optical Society of America

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord, Richard C. Presidents of Optica (society) 20th-century American chemists 1910 births 1989 deaths University of Michigan fellows Johns Hopkins University alumni Scientists from Louisville, Kentucky American spectroscopists

Academic career

Awards and non-academic positions

See also

References

External links