Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs | |
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| Born | (1836-12-02)2 December 1836 |
| Died | 14 February 1923(1923-02-14) (aged 86) |
| Nationality | German American |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
| Known for | periodic table of elements,derecho |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | State University of Iowa,St. Louis University |
Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs (2 December 1836 – 14 February 1923) was achemist and natural philosopher most widely known for his findings onperiodic laws within the chemical elements.[1] Born in theDuchy of Holstein, which at that time was under the rule ofDenmark he emigrated to theUnited States in 1860 he became a professor ofnatural philosophy, chemistry, and modern languages at theUniversity of Iowa. He was first to identify and name thestraight-line storm phenomenon he called the "derecho", founded the Iowa Weather Service, the first state weather and crop service and described theAmana Meteorites from 1875 and 1879 .
Hinrichs was born in 1836 inLunden (today in the district ofDithmarschen), then in theDuchy of Holstein, which at that time was under the rule ofDenmark, although it was simultaneously part of theGerman Confederation. He attended the localpolytechnic school and theUniversity of Copenhagen. During his schooling he published several articles and books,[1][2] including descriptions of themagnetic field of Earth and its interaction with theaether.
Hinrichs graduated in 1860, between theFirst andSecond Schleswig Wars.
Hinrichs emigrated later that year to theUnited States, settling initially inDavenport, Iowa, where he taught school, then in nearbyIowa City.[3]
In 1863, he was appointed a professor ofnatural philosophy, chemistry, and modern languages at theUniversity of Iowa. He founded the first state weather and crop service in the United States and headed theIowa Weather Service until 1886. He paid it out of his own pocket as neither university nor theIowa Legislature would fund it.[4]
He was first to identify and name thestraight-line storm phenomenon he called the "derecho."[5] He stayed at the University of Iowa for 23 years until 1886, when he was fired by the stateBoard of Regents due to disputes with the university president and faculty colleagues.[5]
"Having gotten fed up with lack of support for and occasional hostility to both him and science"[4] he moved to Missouri and in 1889, he became a professor of chemistry in the medical department at theSt. Louis University. He taught there until his retirement in 1907, at age 71.[6][7][8]In 1905, he published an 118-page booklet about theAmana Meteorites, where he had been first on site "with the regents of the university viewing the matter with indifference".[4]
He died on 14 February 1923 in St Louis.
Hinrichs is one of the discoverers of the periodic laws, which are the basis for theperiodic table of elements.[1] Although his contribution is not generally considered as important as those ofDmitri Mendeleev orLothar Meyer, in 1867 (two years before Mendeleev) he presented his ideas on periodicity among the chemical elements in his privately printed bookProgramme der Atommechanik,[9] and in slightly revised form in 1869. His first periodic table had the form of a double spiral,[1] and the elements were placed into the structure according to their atomic mass. Hinrichs also postulated a theory on the cause of the periodicity within the chemical elements based on his theory of the composition of elements out of smallerPanatome. TheTrigonoides were the nonmetals made from regular triangles, while the metallicTetragonoides were made from squares. Algebraic formulas of how to mix squares and triangles yielded the periodic laws.[1][6][10] His "controversial ideas and colorful personality"[10] proved to be an obstacle to the acceptance of his theories.[2]
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