Robert Burns Woodward

Born on 10 April 1917 in Boston, Robert Burns Woodward was one of the leading organic chemists of the 20th century. Enamored of chemistry from a young age, Woodward entered MIT in 1933 at the age of 16 and earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees. He then joined the chemistry department at Harvard University, where he remained for the rest of his career. Woodward became known for his achievements in determining the molecular structures of complex chemical compounds, such as quinine, penicillin, strychnine, and steroids, as well as for his use of the latest analytical techniques, such as UV and IR spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-performance liquid chromatography. In 1965 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for his outstanding achievements in the art of organic synthesis.” In 1972 in collaboration with Albert Eschenmoser of ETH Zürich, Woodward synthesized the important and complicated coenzyme vitamin B12. That work led to his formulating with fellow chemist Roald Hoffmann what became known as the Woodward–Hoffmann rules for the conservation of molecular orbital symmetry. Had Woodward lived longer, he might have received a second Nobel, in 1981, the year Hoffmann was honored along with Kenichi Fukui for their independent findings on orbital symmetry. Besides the Nobel, Woodward received numerous other honors and awards, including the US National Medal of Science in 1964 and the American Chemical Society’s Arthur C. Cope Award (with Hoffmann) in 1973. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, authored or coauthored almost 200 publications, and served as a consultant to such companies as Merck, Monsanto, Pfizer, and Polaroid. At the time of his death from a heart attack at age 62 in 1979, Woodward was working on the synthesis of erythromycin. (Photo credit: HUP Woodward, Robert Burns (8), olvwork727971; Harvard University Archives)

Date in History: 10 April 1917