Langmuir, the Man and the Scientist (PDF)

The Collected Works of Irving Langmuir: Volume 12, Langmuir, the Man and the Scientist presents the biography of Irving Langmuir, General Electric's foremost research scientist, which also includes a chronological summary of his contributions to science. Irving Langmuir, born on January 31, 1881 in New York, attends Public School No. 11 when he is seven. When he reaches 15, he attends Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia. His eye troubles become worse making him wear glasses; later in life, he has cataracts removed from both eyes. He graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering from Columbia University in 1903. In 1906, Langmuir earns his Ph.D., degree from Gottingen. He accepts an instructor position in Chemistry at Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, until 1909 when joins the General Electric Company. In the next years, he receives numerous awards such as the Nichols Medal, Cannizaro Prize, Willar Gibbs Medal. In 1912, he marries Marion Mersereau. He receives the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1932. Among his contributions to science are an improved tungsten filament design used in incandescent bulbs, an atomic hydrogen welding torch, and theories of atomic structure and chemical bond formations. He dies of a heart attack in 1957 at the age of 76. Students, and academicians involved in history, general readers, and scientists interested in the lives of great men in science will find this book pleasant reading.