Henry Taube was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, and did his undergraduate work there. He went to the US in 1937 and became a respected experimental physicist. His most famous work has been in electron transfer reactions, for which he won the Nobel prize in 1983. Current work continues with this area, and includes reactivity of inorganic substances, mixed-valence molecules, and systematic study of back-bonding. He has received numerous awards and honours.
BS, U. Sask., 1935; MS, 1937, LLD, 1973; PhD, U.Calif. 1940; came to US, 1937, naturalized, 1942; DSc, U. Chgo., 1983. Instr. U. Calif., 1940-41; instr., asst. prof. Cornell U., 1941-46; faculty prof. chemistry, Stanford U., 1962- ; chmn. dept., 1971-74; Baker lectr. Cornell U., 1965. Recipient Harrison Howe award, 1961; Chandler medal, Columbia U., 1964; F.P. Dwyer medal, U. N.S.W. Australia, 1973; Nat. medal of Sci., 1976, 77; Allied chem. award for Excellence in Grad. Teaching & Innovative Sci., 1979; Nobel prize, 1983; Guggenheim fellow, 1949, 55. Mem., Am. Acad. Arts & Scies., Nat. Acad. Scis. (award in chem. scis. 1983), Am. Chem. Soc. (Kirkwood award New Haven sect. 1965, award for nuclear application in chemistry 1955, Nichols medal NY sect. 1971, Willard Gibbs medal Chgo. sect. 1971, Distinguished Service in Advancement Inorganic Chemistry Award 1967, T.W. Richards medal NE sect. 1980, Monsanto Co. Award in inorganic chemistry 1981, Linus Pauling award Puget Sound sect. 1981), Royal Physiographical Soc. of Lund, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Phi Lambda Upsilon (hon.). Subspecialties: Inorganic chemistry; kinetics. Current work: reactivity of inorganic substances; electron transfer reactions; mixed-valence molecules; systematic study of back-bonding.
Sources: Who's Who in Frontier Science and Technology, 1st ed. 1984-85
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