Dolphus Edward Milligan (June 17, 1928, Brighton, Alabama – October 18, 1973, Gaithersburg, Maryland) was an internationally acclaimed American chemist, best known for his spectroscopic studies of free radicals and other reactive molecules. He received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from

Morehouse College , mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made") , type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college , academic_affiliations ...

in Atlanta in 1949. He earned a Masters degree in organic chemistry and mathematics (M.S) from

Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...

in 1951. He then accepted a position as a chemistry instructor in

Fort Valley State College } Fort Valley State University (FVSU, formerly Fort Valley State College and Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School) is a public land-grant historically black university in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and ...

in Georgia where he taught until 1954. In 1954, he moved to California where he was admitted to the

University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...

to pursue a doctoral degree. In 1996, When

Robert F. Curl Robert Floyd Curl Jr. (August 23, 1933 – July 3, 2022) was an American chemist who was Pitzer–Schlumberger Professor of Natural Sciences and Professor of Chemistry at Rice University. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 for ...

accepted the

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

in chemistry he expressed his appreciation for Milligan’s help on his earlier more volatile experiments. Milligan obtained his Ph.D in physical chemistry in 1958. His research focused on spectroscopic study of reaction intermediates at extremely low temperature. After completing this doctorate he joined the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in Pittsburgh where he conducted basic research. In 1963, he joined the National Bureau of Standards as a physical chemist. In 1970, he became an adjunct professor at Howard University while retaining his position at Mellon. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and American Physical Society and he assisted other African Americans succeed in the sciences by helping to establish and serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOPABCCE). In 1971, he became the chief of the photochemistry section of the National Bureau of Standards (NIST). Milligan was a member of both the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) 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 155,000 members at all d ...

(ACS) and the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

. On October 18, 1973, aged 45, he died suddenly in his NIST office in Gaithersburg, Maryland where he was chief of the

photochemistry Photochemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the chemical effects of light. Generally, this term is used to describe a chemical reaction caused by absorption of ultraviolet (wavelength from 100 to 400 nm), visible light (400–7 ...

section at the National Bureau of Standards. He was survived by his wife Thedola and his two sons, Stephen and Charles.Biography
blackpast.org. Accessed March 25, 2024.

Legacy

A scholarship fund was established at

in his memory in 1974. In 2003, the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

established a fellowship in his honor in Collaboration with the

National Institute of Standards and Technology The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sci ...

(NIST).

References

Sources

* Scheer, D. Milton "Dolphus E. Milligan", ''Physics Today''. 1974, 89, doi:10.1063/1.3128477
"Robert R. Curl, Jr., Autobiography,". November 9, 2001.
* Sammons, Vivian Ovelton. ''Blacks in Science and Medicine''. New York: Hemisphere Publishing, 1990; ISBN 0891166653 / ISBN 9780891166658. * Ray Spangenburg and Kit Moser. ''African Americans in Science, Math, and Invention''. New York, 2003. {{DEFAULTSORT:Milligan, Dolphus E. 1928 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American chemists Morehouse College alumni Clark Atlanta University alumni People from Brighton, Alabama