Arthur C. Cope
Encyclopedia
Arthur C. Cope was a highly successful and influential organic chemist and member of the National Academy of Sciences
. He is credited with the development of several important chemical reactions which bear his name including the Cope elimination and the Cope rearrangement
.
Cope was born on June 27, 1909 in Dunreith, Indiana
. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Butler University
in Indianapolis
in 1929 and a PhD in 1932 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. His research continued at Harvard University in 1933 as a National Research Council Fellow. In 1934, he joined the faculty of Bryn Mawr College
. There his research included the first syntheses of a number of barbiturate
s including delvinyl sodium. At Bryn Mawr, Cope also developed a reaction involving the thermal rearrangement of an allyl
group which eventually became known as the Cope rearrangement.
In 1941, Cope moved to Columbia University
where he worked on projects associated with the war effect including chemical warfare agents, antimalarial drugs, and treatments for mustard gas poisoning. In 1945, he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
to become the head of the Department of Chemistry. In 1947, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Today, the Arthur C. Cope Award
, in honor of his memory, is given out annually by the American Chemical Society
to the most outstanding organic chemist.
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
. He is credited with the development of several important chemical reactions which bear his name including the Cope elimination and the Cope rearrangement
Cope rearrangement
The Cope rearrangement is an extensively studied organic reaction involving the [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of 1,5-dienes. It was developed by Arthur C. Cope...
.
Cope was born on June 27, 1909 in Dunreith, Indiana
Dunreith, Indiana
Dunreith is a town in Spiceland Township, Henry County, Indiana, United States. The population was 177 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dunreith is located at ....
. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in 1929 and a PhD in 1932 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. His research continued at Harvard University in 1933 as a National Research Council Fellow. In 1934, he joined the faculty of Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
. There his research included the first syntheses of a number of barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
s including delvinyl sodium. At Bryn Mawr, Cope also developed a reaction involving the thermal rearrangement of an allyl
Allyl
An allyl group is a substituent with the structural formula H2C=CH-CH2R, where R is the connection to the rest of the molecule. It is made up of a methylene , attached to a vinyl group . The name is derived from the Latin word for garlic, Allium sativum. Theodor Wertheim isolated an allyl...
group which eventually became known as the Cope rearrangement.
In 1941, Cope moved to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
where he worked on projects associated with the war effect including chemical warfare agents, antimalarial drugs, and treatments for mustard gas poisoning. In 1945, he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
to become the head of the Department of Chemistry. In 1947, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Today, the Arthur C. Cope Award
Arthur C. Cope Award
The Arthur C. Cope Award is a prize awarded for achievement in the field of organic chemistry research. It is generally considered one of the highest honors in the field. It is sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund, and has been awarded since 1973 by the American Chemical Society.Recipients...
, in honor of his memory, is given out annually by the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
to the most outstanding organic chemist.