Norman Hackerman | |
|---|---|
 Hackerman in 1985 | |
| 18th President of the University of Texas at Austin | |
| In office 1967–1970 | |
| Preceded by | Harry Ransom |
| Succeeded by | Bryce Jordan |
| 4th President ofRice University | |
| In office 1970–1985 | |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Pitzer |
| Succeeded by | George Rupp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1912-03-02)March 2, 1912 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | June 16, 2007(2007-06-16) (aged 95) Temple, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | Gene Coulbourn (died 2002) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Electrochemistry ofoxidation[1] |
| Awards | Vannevar Bush Award(1993) National Medal of Science(1993) |
| Scientific career | |
| Alma mater | Johns Hopkins University (BS, PhD) |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | A study of the effect of solvent and concentration on the molecular weight of sulfur monochloride (1935) |
| Doctoral advisor | Walter Albert Patrick |
Norman Hackerman (March 2, 1912 – June 16, 2007) was an Americanchemist,professor, andacademic administrator who served as the18th President of theUniversity of Texas at Austin (1967–1970)[2] and later as the 4th President ofRice University (1970–1985).[3] He was an internationally known expert in metalcorrosion.[4]
Born inBaltimore, Maryland, he was the only son of Jacob Hackerman and Anna Raffel, immigrants from the Baltic regions of theRussian Empire that later becameEstonia andLatvia, respectively.[5]
Hackerman earned his bachelor's degree in 1932 and his doctor's degree in chemistry in 1935 fromJohns Hopkins University.[6] He taught at Johns Hopkins,Loyola College in Baltimore and theVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University inBlacksburg, Virginia, before working on theManhattan Project in World War II.[7]
He joined the University of Texas in 1945 as an assistant professor of chemistry, became an associate professor in 1946, a full professor in 1950, a department chair in 1952, dean of research in 1960, vice president and provost in 1961, and vice chancellor for academic affairs for theUniversity of Texas System in 1963. Hackerman left the University of Texas in 1970 for Rice, where he retired 15 years later. He was named professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Texas in 1985 and taught classes until the end of his life.[8][7]
He was a member of theNational Academy of Sciences,[9] theAmerican Philosophical Society,[10] and theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.[11] Among his many honors are theOlin Palladium Award of theElectrochemical Society, theGold Medal of the American Institute of Chemists (1978), theCharles Lathrop Parsons Award, theVannevar Bush Award and theNational Medal of Science.[12] He was awarded theAcheson Award by theElectrochemical Society in 1984.[13]
Hackerman served on advisory committees and boards of several technical societies and government agencies, including theNational Science Board, the Texas Governor's Task Force on Higher Education and the Scientific Advisory Board of theWelch Foundation. He also served as editor of theJournal of the Electrochemical Society and as president of theElectrochemical Society.[14]
Hackerman's wife of 61 years, Gene Coulbourn, died in 2002; they had three daughters and one son.[15]
In 1982The Electrochemical Society created theNorman Hackerman Young Author Award to honor the best paper published in theJournal of the Electrochemical Society for a topic in the field of electrochemical science and technology by a young author or authors. In 2000 the Welch Foundation created theNorman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research to recognize the work of young researchers inTexas. The Rice Board of Trustees established theNorman Hackerman Fellowship in Chemistry in honor of Hackerman's 90th birthday in 2002. In 2008, the original Experimental Science Building at the University of Texas at Austin campus was demolished and rebuilt as the Norman Hackerman Experimental Science Building in his name and honor. The building was completed in late 2010, with the opening and dedication ceremony on March 2, 2011, which was both Hackerman's 99th Birthday and the 175th Anniversary of Texas Independence. The main building at the J. Erik Jonsson Center of the National Academy of Sciences isHackerman House, named in his honor. Hackerman House overlooks Quissett Harbor in Woods Hole MA, on Cape Cod.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of University of Texas at Austin 1967–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Rice University 1970–1985 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
