Rice mourns Chemistry’s Margrave

Rice
mourns Chemistry’s Margrave

John L. Margrave,
the E.D. Butcher Professor of Chemistry, died Dec. 18 of
complications following surgery.

During a career
that spanned more than five decades, Margrave made a multitude
of professional and personal contributions across diverse
settings. Reflecting this lifetime of success, he was recently
honored by the American Institute of Chemists with the Chemical
Pioneer Award for his groundbreaking research in the field
of fluorine chemistry and for his work with high-temperature
liquid metals. In July 2003, he received the R&D 100
Award for his innovative work on fluorinating carbon nanotubes.
Margrave and his group have been widely recognized for their
research in high-temperature chemistry, for their work with
elemental fluorine and silicon-fluorine compounds, for their
studies of levitated liquid metals and their thermodynamic
properties and for their development of thin diamond films.
His research consistently expanded the frontiers of chemistry
over the past half century. Margrave authored more than
800 publications reporting his scientific achievements.
In recognition of his contributions, he was elected to membership
in the National Academy of Sciences in 1974. He was elected
as fellow of the American Institute of Chemists, the American
Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement
of Science.

Reflecting his
love of chemistry, Margrave and his research group often
presented chemical magic shows entitled “Meaningful
Manipulations of Millions of Madly Moving Molecules”
for youth at libraries, schools and the Houston Museum of
Natural Science. Sharing the delights of science with students
at all levels was a special joy in his life. He mentored
more than 100 graduate students and 100 postdoctoral researchers
during his career. Interacting with his students and sharing
in their success and interests provided deep satisfaction
in his professional life. For many years, Professor and
Mrs. Margrave have been faculty associates at Rice’s
Graduate House, providing a vast resource “closet”
of items that a graduate student would need to survive in
a new setting.

Margrave received
his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from the University
of Kansas–Lawrence, where he was a Summerfield Scholar
and a Slosson Graduate Fellow. He was named a distinguished
alumnus of the University of Kansas in 1981. He pursued
postdoctoral work at the University of California–Berkeley,
where he received an Atomic Energy Commission Postdoctoral
Fellowship. In 1952, he joined the faculty at the University
of Wisconsin, where he was an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, a
Guggenheim Research Fellow and a recipient of the Kiekhofer
Memorial Teaching Award. In 1963, Margrave joined the faculty
at Rice University. He received the American Chemical Society
Award in Inorganic Chemistry in 1967, the IR-100 Award for
“CFX” in 1970, the American Chemical Society Southwest
Regional Award in 1973, the AIC Honor Scroll Award in 1978,
the American Chemical Society Award in Fluorine Chemistry
in 1980, the IR-100 Award for Cryolink Matrix-Isolation
in 1993, the Sigmi Xi Distinguished Achievement Award in
1994 and the Scholars Award for Excellence in Science and
Technology in 1994.

In addition to
his faculty position, Margrave served as chair of the Department
of Chemistry from 1967 to 1972, as dean of Advanced Studies
and Research from 1971 to 1980 and as vice president for
Advanced Studies and Research from 1980 to 1986. He also
served in various capacities at the Houston Advanced Research
Center (HARC), culminating in his appointment as chief scientific
officer in 1989.

As a member of
the National Academy of Sciences, Margrave served on several
key committees of the National Research Council related
to nuclear safety, armaments and demilitarization of chemical
weapons. He was president and then director of Sigma Xi
from 1986 to 1992. In addition to these duties, Margrave
served on innumerable committees and on key advisory panels.
He made stellar contributions at every level of scientific
endeavor and in every post he occupied.

Margrave sustained
a dynamic and highly productive research program, even during
his extensive administrative years, and his knowledge and
understanding of physical and inorganic chemistry dazzled
generations of students. Within this multitude of accomplishments,
Margrave’s greatest love was his interactions with
students of all ages, and his inspiration brought many students
to the study of chemistry. This passion was reflected in
the fact that, even on the eve of his recent surgery, Margrave
was reading a student doctoral thesis and discussing scientific
endeavors with his graduate students. Margrave provided
guidance to innumerable individuals, and his life serves
as a stellar example of commitment to scientific excellence,
deep engagement with students and commitment to the larger
community.

The family requests
that remembrances be sent to Rice University, Department
of Chemistry, MS-60, P. O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251
for The John L. Margrave Fund.