Jerome Karle

Karle Retirement

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Grave of Jerome Karle (1918-2013) and Isabella Lugoski Karle (1921-2017)

Jerome Karle (June 18, 1918 – June 6, 2013) was an American physical chemist and crystallographer who made significant contributions to the field of chemical crystallography. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1985, alongside Herbert A. Hauptman, for their work on the development of direct methods for the determination of crystal structures. This work was instrumental in the advancement of the field of crystallography, as it allowed for the determination of a crystal structure from X-ray diffraction patterns without the need for a priori knowledge of the structure.

Early Life and Education

Jerome Karle was born in New York City. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the City College of New York in 1937 and went on to earn a Master's degree in biology from Harvard University in 1938. Karle then pursued his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Michigan, where he focused on physical chemistry, completing his degree in 1943.

Career

After completing his Ph.D., Karle joined the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C., where he would spend the majority of his career. It was at the NRL that Karle, in collaboration with Herbert A. Hauptman, developed the mathematical methods that would revolutionize the field of crystallography. Their work made it possible to determine the structure of complex molecules from X-ray diffraction data, a process that was previously thought to be nearly impossible for molecules of significant size.

Karle's research had a profound impact on many fields, including chemistry, biology, and materials science, by enabling the detailed study of molecular structures. This work has facilitated advances in drug discovery, the development of new materials, and the understanding of biological processes at the molecular level.

Nobel Prize

In 1985, Jerome Karle and Herbert A. Hauptman were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their outstanding contributions to the field of crystallography. Their development of direct methods for the determination of crystal structures was recognized as a major scientific breakthrough that had fundamentally changed the way chemists and other scientists could analyze the structure of molecules.

Personal Life

Jerome Karle was married to Isabella Karle, a notable chemist and crystallographer in her own right, who also worked at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Together, they had three daughters. Karle's personal interests included a passion for the arts, particularly opera and ballet.

Legacy

Jerome Karle's work has left a lasting legacy in the field of crystallography and beyond. His contributions have been fundamental to the advancement of numerous scientific disciplines, enabling researchers to explore the structure of matter at an atomic level. Karle's pioneering methods continue to be used and developed further, underscoring the enduring impact of his research.