Heinrich Dieter 'Dick' Holland (May 27, 1927 – May 21, 2012) was an emeritus professor in the Earth and Planetary Sciences department of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He made major contributions to the understanding of the Earth's

geochemistry Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the ...

, especially large-scale geochemical and biogeochemical cycles. He has also contributed to the field of planetary chemistry and planetary evolution.

Personal life

Holland was born on May 27, 1927, to Jewish parents in Mannheim, Germany. He escaped Nazi Germany by

Kindertransport The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...

to England. He was re-united with his family in the Dominican Republic. They moved to the United States in 1940 where they first resided at

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its living collections include some of the ...

in New York. Holland was married for 57 years to Alice. They had four children, three boys and one girl.

Education and career

Holland received his bachelor's degree in chemistry (high honors) in 1946 from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

. He served in the U.S. Army from 1946-47 on secret and classified government projects with

Wernher von Braun Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun ( , ; 23 March 191216 June 1977) was a German and American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was a member of the Nazi Party and Allgemeine SS, as well as the leading figure in the develop ...

. In 1947 he entered graduate school at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, receiving a master’s degree in 1948 and Ph.D. in 1952, both in

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

. He served on the faculty of

from 1950 to 1972, rising from the rank of instructor to full professor. Holland moved to

in 1972. He later became the Harvard Harry C. Dudley Professor of Economic Geology. In 2006 he ‘retired’ from Harvard and became a visiting scholar in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, where he remained active in research and writing until his death. During his career he held visiting appointments at

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, Durham University,

University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

Heidelberg University } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, B ...

, Penn State,

Imperial College, London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a c ...

, and

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

, Jerusalem. He was vice president of the

Geochemical Society The Geochemical Society is a nonprofit scientific organization founded to encourage the application of chemistry to solve problems involving geology and cosmology. The society promotes understanding of geochemistry through the annual Goldschmidt Co ...

from 1969 to 1970 and president from 1970 to 1971.

Awards

Holland was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

. His awards included the V.M. Goldschmidt Award of the Geochemical Society(1994), the Penrose Gold Medal of the

Society of Economic Geologists The Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) is a scientific organization that promotes the study of geology as it relates to mining, mineral exploration, mineral resource classification and mineral extraction. The society's Publication Board publishe ...

(1995), and the Leopold von Busch Medal of the Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft (1998).

Death

Holland died from cancer aged 84 on May 21, 2012 in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

Publications

* ''The Chemistry of the Atmosphere and Oceans'', May 1978. John Wiley & Sons. "Heinrich D.Holland - Amazon Bibliography"
amazon.com. Retrieved July 29, 2012 * ''The Chemical Evolution of the Ocean and Atmosphere'', July 1, 1984. Princeton University Press. * ''Living Dangerously'' November 28, 1995, Princeton University Press. (with Ulrich Petersen).

References

External links

James F. Kasting, "Heinrich D. Holland", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2017)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, Heinrich 1927 births 2012 deaths The Stony Brook School alumni Harvard University faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences British geologists United States Army personnel Economic geologists Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States Scientists from Mannheim Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Presidents of the Geochemical Society Recipients of the V. M. Goldschmidt Award