Ole J. Kleppa
Encyclopedia
Ole J. Kleppa was a Norwegian-born physical chemist and a pioneer and leading authority in the study of metals, molten salts, ceramics and minerals at high temperatures. Kleppa was a Professor at the University of Chicago
, where he held appointments in the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Geophysical Sciences, the James Franck Institute, and the College. He was the Director of the James Franck Institute and the Materials Research Laboratory.
to Per and Karen Kleppa. After completing secondary school, Kleppa received received his Master of Science degree in chemical engineering
in 1946 and his Ph.D. in 1956 from the Norwegian Institute of Technology
.
and took part in other resistance activities. Feeling that the situation was getting dangerous, Kleppa along with five or six others then decided to disguise themselves as berry pickers and flee Norway for neutral Sweden
. After the war, Kleppa learned from his aunt that he crossed the border on the very day that she had received a letter from the Gestapo
seeking to question him. After a year of teaching chemistry and physics in Uppsala, Sweden he flew to Great Britain, where he served in the Norwegian Army
as an Intelligence Officer.
Kleppa served as an officer in a Norwegian military unit while in Britain. In 1943, he was sent to Iceland
for eight months to teach U.S. soldiers to work in cold weather environments and to train them in winter warfare tactics. In Iceland Kleppa also befriended Kristjan Eldjarn
, who later became Iceland's third president.
in 1947, shortly after marrying his wife, Abbie Joy Stodder. As a scientist at Chicago, Kleppa developed a series of calorimeters capable of making difficult scientific measurements less complicated. One of his primary achievements was the development of the Kleppa calorimeter, an instrument that measures tiny amounts of heat as new materials form at high temperatures.He built a series of calorimeters in order to measure precise enthalpies of formation at high temperatures. Kleppa’s calorimeters determined how much energy a particular compound alloy, or mineral requires to form. The results of these findings were much sought after by engineers and scientists working on marketable applications and by curious theoreticians pursuing basic research.
The alloys, minerals, and compounds that Kleppa collected and interpreted data on has been widely used in the aviation industry and by physicists developing superconducting materials for advanced technological applications including nuclear reactors. Ole Kleppa also made a unique contribution to the field of molten salts, as his measurements and methods gave rise to great progress in the field.
Kleppa served as the Associate Director of the James Franck Institute from 1968 to 1971 and then its the Director from 1971 to 1977. He also served as Director of the Materials Research Lab at the University of Chicago from 1984 to 1987. During his career, he held positions on the board of editors of the Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, Journal of Physical Chemistry, and Journal of Phase Equilibria. Kleppa was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
, of the Norwegian Institute of Technology
, and a Fellow of ASM International
and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
.
Kleppa retired as a Professor Emeritus in 1990, but he maintained his lab and continued to receive grants until his death. He held on to his Norwegian citizenship until 2000, when he became a U.S. citizen. He was a good friend and colleague of R. Stephen Berry
, Stuart Rice, and Nobel Laureates Yoichiro Nambu
and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
.
Ole Kleppa died on May 27, 2007 at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas
.
Following his death, Norwegian scientist Stein Julsrud said "It is truly one of the most important contributors to physical chemistry in the post-war era that has now passed away".
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where he held appointments in the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Geophysical Sciences, the James Franck Institute, and the College. He was the Director of the James Franck Institute and the Materials Research Laboratory.
Biography
Kleppa was born in Kristiania, NorwayOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to Per and Karen Kleppa. After completing secondary school, Kleppa received received his Master of Science degree in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
in 1946 and his Ph.D. in 1956 from the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
.
During World War II
His education, however, was interrupted by the German invasion of Norway. As a leader in student government, Kleppa helped organize organized readings at which participants extolled freedom and Norwegian nationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and took part in other resistance activities. Feeling that the situation was getting dangerous, Kleppa along with five or six others then decided to disguise themselves as berry pickers and flee Norway for neutral Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. After the war, Kleppa learned from his aunt that he crossed the border on the very day that she had received a letter from the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
seeking to question him. After a year of teaching chemistry and physics in Uppsala, Sweden he flew to Great Britain, where he served in the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
as an Intelligence Officer.
Kleppa served as an officer in a Norwegian military unit while in Britain. In 1943, he was sent to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
for eight months to teach U.S. soldiers to work in cold weather environments and to train them in winter warfare tactics. In Iceland Kleppa also befriended Kristjan Eldjarn
Kristján Eldjárn
Dr. Kristján Eldjárn was the third President of Iceland, from 1968 to 1980.His parents were Þórarinn Kr. Eldjárn, a teacher in Tjörn, and Sigrún Sigurhjartardóttir. He graduated in archaeology from the University of Copenhagen and taught at the University of Iceland...
, who later became Iceland's third president.
At the University of Chicago
The Author of over 350 scientific publications, Ole Kleppa began working at the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1947, shortly after marrying his wife, Abbie Joy Stodder. As a scientist at Chicago, Kleppa developed a series of calorimeters capable of making difficult scientific measurements less complicated. One of his primary achievements was the development of the Kleppa calorimeter, an instrument that measures tiny amounts of heat as new materials form at high temperatures.He built a series of calorimeters in order to measure precise enthalpies of formation at high temperatures. Kleppa’s calorimeters determined how much energy a particular compound alloy, or mineral requires to form. The results of these findings were much sought after by engineers and scientists working on marketable applications and by curious theoreticians pursuing basic research.
The alloys, minerals, and compounds that Kleppa collected and interpreted data on has been widely used in the aviation industry and by physicists developing superconducting materials for advanced technological applications including nuclear reactors. Ole Kleppa also made a unique contribution to the field of molten salts, as his measurements and methods gave rise to great progress in the field.
Kleppa served as the Associate Director of the James Franck Institute from 1968 to 1971 and then its the Director from 1971 to 1977. He also served as Director of the Materials Research Lab at the University of Chicago from 1984 to 1987. During his career, he held positions on the board of editors of the Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, Journal of Physical Chemistry, and Journal of Phase Equilibria. Kleppa was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:DKNVS was founded in 1760 by bishop of Nidaros Johan Ernst Gunnerus, headmaster at the Trondheim Cathedral School Gerhard Schøning and Councillor of State Peter Frederik Suhm under the name...
, of the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
, and a Fellow of ASM International
ASM International
ASM International, formerly known as the American Society for Metals, is a professional organization for materials scientists and engineers working with metals....
and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
.
Kleppa retired as a Professor Emeritus in 1990, but he maintained his lab and continued to receive grants until his death. He held on to his Norwegian citizenship until 2000, when he became a U.S. citizen. He was a good friend and colleague of R. Stephen Berry
R. Stephen Berry
R. Stephen Berry is a U.S. professor of physical chemistry.He is the James Franck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at The University of Chicago and Special Advisor to the Director for National Security, at Argonne National Laboratory...
, Stuart Rice, and Nobel Laureates Yoichiro Nambu
Yoichiro Nambu
is a Japanese-born American physicist, currently a professor at the University of Chicago. Known for his contributions to the field of theoretical physics, he was awarded a one-half share of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008 for the discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in...
and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, FRS ) was an Indian origin American astrophysicist who, with William A. Fowler, won the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics for key discoveries that led to the currently accepted theory on the later evolutionary stages of massive stars...
.
Ole Kleppa died on May 27, 2007 at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
.
Following his death, Norwegian scientist Stein Julsrud said "It is truly one of the most important contributors to physical chemistry in the post-war era that has now passed away".
Further reading
- http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=119954714FFFD340&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
- http://jfi.uchicago.edu/aboutinstitute/documents/Kleppa.profile.html
- http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2007/06/05/Scientist_Ole_Kleppa_dies_at_87/UPI-39951181060068/
- http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164323378.html