John H. Wotiz

John Henry Wotiz (12 April 1919 in Ostrava – 21 August 2001 in Morehead, Kentucky)[1] was a Czech-American chemist in the areas of organic chemistry and chemical history.[2][3]

John Henry Wotiz
Born(1919-04-19)April 19, 1919
Ostrava
DiedAugust 21, 2001(2001-08-21) (aged 82)
Morehead, Kentucky, USA
Alma materCzech Technical University in Prague, Furman University, University of Richmond, Ohio State University
AwardsDexter Award
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Pittsburgh, Diamond Alkali Company, Marshall University, Southern Illinois University
Doctoral advisorMelvin S. Newman

Career

Wotiz began studying of chemical engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague, but went to the USA with his brother in 1939 because of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.[2][4] In 1941 he received a Bachelor's degree in chemistry from Furman University and in 1943 a Master's degree from the University of Richmond. At the end of World War II he served in the United States Army as Lieutenant of chemical weaponry. In 1944 he became a US citizen. In 1948 he earned a PhD in chemistry under Melvin S. Newman at Ohio State University.[2]

Wotiz was an instructor and from 1954 an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He went to work in industry at the Diamond Alkali Company in Painesville in 1957. There he was involved in authoring 44 patents. In 1962 he became a professor at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and in 1967 at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.[2]

External video
SIU Connections Kekule Riddle, PBS, March 22, 1993

In 1980 Wotiz was Chairman of the History Division of the American Chemical Society. Starting in 1971 he organized trips to Europe regarding the history of chemistry. As a chemical historian, he was particularly concerned with August Kekulé.[5][6][7][8][9] He was involved in establishing a center for the history of chemistry, the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the Science History Institute).[10][2]

Wotiz retired in 1989. He was particularly committed to international exchange with Eastern Europe and was involved in comparative studies of chemical education in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Asia.[2] He and his wife Kathryn died as a result of a car accident on August 21, 2001.[3][1]

Awards

In 1982 Wotiz received the Dexter Award, in part for his contributions to the establishment of a center for the history of chemistry.[11][10] In 1998 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Technical University of Ostrava (in his home town) after receiving their gold medal in 1982.[2]

Works

The Kekulé riddle : a challenge for chemists and psychologists. Wotiz, John H. (1st ed.). Clearwater, FL: Cache River Press. 1993. ISBN 0-9627422-2-8. OCLC 27478917.CS1 maint: others (link)

References
  1. "Dr. John Henry and Kathryn E. "Kay" Wotiz". Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. 26 Aug 2001. p. 14. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. "John H. Wotiz (1919–2001)" (PDF). American Chemical Society. 2006.
  3. "People: obituaries". Chemical and Engineering News. 79 (45): 45–48. 5 November 2001. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  4. John H. Wotiz, interviewed by Herbert T. Pratt in Newcastle, Delaware on August 8, 2000. Oral History Transcript 0197. Philadelphia, PA: Science History Institute. 2000.
  5. Browne, Malcolm W. (1988-08-16). "The Benzene Ring: Dream Analysis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  6. "The Man Who Dreamed Benzene Rings". The New York Times. 1988-09-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  7. BONNAN, STU (23 August 1993). "19th-century Chemist Kekulé Charged With Scientific Misconduct". Chemical & Engineering News. 71 (34): 20–21. doi:10.1021/cen-v071n034.p020.
  8. Nye, Mary Jo (1993). From chemical philosophy to theoretical chemistry: dynamics of matter and dynamics of disciplines. 1800-1950. California: University California Press. pp. 26–27.
  9. Wotiz, John H.; Rudofsky, Susanna (January 1982). "Was there a conspiracy when Kekulé's first German benzene-structure paper was frequently listed as published in 1865?". Journal of Chemical Education. 59 (1): 23. doi:10.1021/ed059p23. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. Heindel, Ned (2000). "The story behind the story". Chemical Heritage Magazine. Chemical Heritage Foundation. 18 (3): 45.
  11. "HIST AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY". American Chemical Society Division of the History of Chemistry. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
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