George Ernest Gibson
Encyclopedia
George Ernest Gibson was a Scottish
born American
nuclear chemist.
, Scotland
and educated partly in Germany
where attended a gymnasium in Darmstadt
, finishing his schooling in Edinburgh. He studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh
receiving his B.Sc. in 1906. He worked with Otto Lummer
at the University of Breslau where he received his Ph.D in 1911, and stayed there as lecturer for two additional years before returning to the University of Edinburgh in 1912.
. Two of his students were awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
, William Giauque
and Glenn T. Seaborg
. In 1927 he stayed a year with Walter Heitler
in Heidelberg
. He retired in 1954 and died in 1959.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nuclear chemist.
Early years
George Ernest Gibson was born EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and educated partly in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where attended a gymnasium in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, finishing his schooling in Edinburgh. He studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
receiving his B.Sc. in 1906. He worked with Otto Lummer
Otto Lummer
Otto Richard Lummer was a German physicist and researcher. He was born in the city of Gera, Germany. With Leon Arons, Lummer helped to design and build the Arons-Lummer mercury-vapor lamp. Lummer primarily worked in the field of optics and thermal radiation...
at the University of Breslau where he received his Ph.D in 1911, and stayed there as lecturer for two additional years before returning to the University of Edinburgh in 1912.
Work
In 1913 he became Professor at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Two of his students were awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
, William Giauque
William Giauque
William Francis Giauque was an American chemist and Nobel laureate recognised in 1949 for his studies in the properties of matter at temperatures close to absolute zero...
and Glenn T. Seaborg
Glenn T. Seaborg
Glenn Theodore Seaborg was an American scientist who won the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements", contributed to the discovery and isolation of ten elements, and developed the actinide concept, which led to the current arrangement of the...
. In 1927 he stayed a year with Walter Heitler
Walter Heitler
Walter Heinrich Heitler was a German physicist who made contributions to quantum electrodynamics and quantum field theory...
in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. He retired in 1954 and died in 1959.