One of the 1985 recipients of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was Jerome Karle. He developed the direct method of x-ray crystallography analysis with his colleague Herbert Hauptmann. Karle and Hauptmann, both graduates of the City College of New York were pioneers in today’s crystallographic analysis techniques. Utilizing both math and chemistry, their method allowed scientists to accurately determine structures of molecules.
Kenneth Arrow: 1972
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Robert Aumann: 2005
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Julius Axelrod: 1970
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Stanley Cohen: 1986
Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology
Gertrude Elion: 1988
Nobel Prize in Physics
Herbert Hauptman: 1985
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Robert Hofstadter: 1961
Nobel Prize in Physics
Jerome Karle: 1985
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Arthur Kornberg: 1959
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Leon Lederman: 1988
Nobel Prize in Physics
Arno Penzias: 1978
Nobel Prize in Astrophysics
Julian Schwinger: 1965
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Rosalyn Yalow: 1977
Nobel Prize in Medicine
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What is so important about adding Fluorine to water?
Adding fluorine is beneficial to dental health.
Was Karle’s acquaintance with Hauptman important for his interest in researching x-ray crystallography?
They were both interested in applying mathematical reasoning to analyze crystal diffraction patterns.
Did he have any moral qualms working on the Manhattan Project?
This information is not available.
Do you know what he studied at City College!
He studied Biology and then finished with a Master’s at Harvard.
Was his research used as a basis for other scientists at the time despite its initial rejection, or only later on after its acceptance?
His wife Isabella Karle used his technique in her research before it was widely accepted to help promote his method.
On a more personal level, did his mother accept that Karle wouldn’t be into the arts musically? Did she support him through his science work?
There is no information available on this.
What was so unbelieveable about his research that caused people to doubt him?
Previous methods of crystallography could only be used to identify simple molecules, His method could be applied to complex crystals.
Did he have a hard time dealing with his professors and fellow classmates as a fifteen year old in college?
He had a difficult time initially adjusting to the college environment. Like most CUNY students, he was a commuter and travelled 3 hours a day to and from school.
What was Karle’s relationship to Hauptman?
They were both researchers at the Naval Laboratory and graduates of City College.
How much of the mathematical analysis did Karle do on the X-Ray Crystallography research? Did he purely stick to the chemistry side?
Karle applied the Sayre equation to solve the phase problem.
It’s pretty interesting that he had the dual influence of arts and science in his life. I’m sure many of us identify with that since outside of school we all do other things. Do you think this affected his success at all?
Generally exposure to both the arts and sciences opens up a person’s perspective on the world and makes them more receptive to different aspects of life.
How does Karle credit CUNY with his success?
He credits CUNY with giving him a solid, well-rounded undergraduate foundation.
What did Isabella Karle’s research focus on?
Did any of her own work or knowledge gained by using his techniques, influence Karle?