Eugene G. Rochow | |
---|---|
Born | October 4, 1909 |
Died | March 21, 2002 | (aged 92)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Cornell University |
Awards | Perkin Medal (1962) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Inorganic chemistry |
Eugene George Rochow (October 4, 1909 – March 21, 2002) was an American inorganic chemist. Rochow worked on organosilicon chemistry; in the 1940s, he described the direct process, also known as the Rochow process or Müller-Rochow process.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Rochow grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey and attended Columbia High School, where teachers fostered his interest in math and chemistry.[1] He obtained both B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University in 1931 and 1935 respectively. Upon completion of his Ph.D., he began working for a General Electric subsidiary. In 1948, Rochow resigned from GE due to his Quaker beliefs.[1] He joined the faculty at Harvard University where he remained until his retirement in 1970. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1949.[2] He is known for developing, with A. Louis Allred, the Allred-Rochow electronegativity scale.[3] In 1962, he was awarded the Perkin Medal.[4] Rochow died in Fort Myers, Florida aged 92.