Dr. Jerome Karle
- Laboratory for the Structure of Matter, Naval Research Laboratory,
Washington, D.C., USA.
Ph.D. and M.S.(Physical chemistry) University of Michigan.
A Fellow of American Physical Society, a member of the
National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society,
and a member of a number of other professional societies.
Awards: Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1985, shared with Dr. Herbert A.
Hauptman.
- Dr. Jerome Karle was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 18, 1918.
He was born into a family in which there were generations of artistic
people, several of whom had careers in the fine and commercial arts.
A career in science was a most remote profession. Nevertheless, at an
early age, perhaps eight or nine, he was avidly reading popular
accounts of science, for example those of Sir James Jeans, and from
that time on, he expected to spend his life in scientific pursuits.
At Michigan, Dr. Karle and his wife, Isabella, were among the first
graduate students of Lawrence O. Brockway, Brockway was among the
first graduate students of Linus Pauling. Both Dr. Karle and his wife
did their thesis work on the molecular structure of gaseous
molecules.
Dr. Karle has served as president of the International Union of
Crystallography, He has been chairman of the Chemistry Section of
the National Academy of Sciences. Some time ago, he was a Professorial
Lecturer in the University College of the University of Maryland and a
Visiting Professor at the University of Kief in Germany. He has also
lectured at many international schools and symposia and has served
on a number of international scientific organizations.
Dr. Karle's research has been concerned with diffraction theory and its
application to the determination of atomic arrangements of
substances in various states of aggregation, gaseous, liquid,
amorphous solid, fibrous and crystalline. This research has resulted
in new techniques for structure determination and a broad variety of
applications. Dr. Isabella Karle has been the pioneer in bridging the
gap between the theoretical formula for crystal structure
determination and the experimental methodology required to achieve
useful applications. She has also collaborated in major advances
in the structure determination of molecules in the vapor state.
- ``I am very apprehensive about the future of human society. Much can be
said about this subject, but in general terms, I am appalled by the
large fraction of the population that behaves in a selfish,
anti-social and often criminal way, the ease with which many
individuals can be induced to commit violence and inhumane acts,
the needs for instant gratification without consideration of the
consequences and the general use of reason to rationalize improper
behavior rather than prevent it. Nevertheless, despite daunting
barriers, I feel that it is worth a considerable effort to try to
improve the world of the future.
The world still offers people special joys. Among them I very much
enjoyed raising three children and I currently enjoy three-dimensional
(stereo-)photography, art, music, swimming which I do daily in a pool
at my laboratory, occasional ice skating, and when I am sure that
no one else is listening, I play piano.''
- A Message sent for the seminar participants '93 -
Dr. Isabella and Jerome Karle (Nobel Laureate) at Summer Workshop, 1994
