John Douglass Ferry (May 4, 1912 – October 18, 2002) was a Canadian-born American chemist and

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

noted for development of surgical products from blood plasma and for studies of the chemistry of large molecules.New York Times: Dr. J.D. Ferry Wins Prize; Wisconsin Chemist Honored for Study of Large Molecules; June 27, 1946
/ref>National Academy of Sciences (NAS); Biographical Memoirs: V. 90 (2009); John Douglass Ferry; by Robert F. Landel, Michael W. Mosesson, and John L. Schrag
/ref>
[http://www.secfac.wisc.edu/senate/2005/0207/1822%28mem_res%29.pdf University of Wisconsin:Faculty document 1822; 7 February 2005; Memorial resolution of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison of the death of the professor emeritus John Douglass Ferry] Along with Williams and Landel, Ferry co-authored the work on time-temperature superposition in which the now famous Williams–Landel–Ferry equation, WLF equation first appeared. The

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

called Ferry "a towering figure in polymer science". The University of Wisconsin said that he was "undoubtedly the most widely recognized research pioneer in the study of motional dynamics in

macromolecular system Supramolecular chemistry refers to the branch of chemistry concerning chemical systems composed of a discrete number of molecules. The strength of the forces responsible for spatial organization of the system range from weak intermolecular forces, ...

s by viscoelastic techniques".

Education

Ferry was born in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. At age 19, Ferry received his bachelor of arts degree at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1932. Three years later, he received his Ph.D at Stanford and became a research assistant at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station.

Career

In 1937, Ferry was an instructor of biochemical sciences at Harvard University. He was also a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard. He became an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry of the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1946 and was made a full professor the following year. Ferry was chairman of the Department of Chemistry at University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1959 to 1967. He was a founding member of the Rheology Research Center at Wisconsin. In 1973 Ferry was a Farrington Daniels Research Professor.

Professional memberships

He was affiliated with the following organizations: *

member * Chairman of the Committee on Macromolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council * President of the Society of Rheology

Awards

Ferry received the following notable awards and distinctions: * Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry of the American Chemical Society * Bingham Medal of the Society of Rheology *

Colloid Chemistry A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others extend ...

Award of the American Chemical Society * High Polymer Physics Prize of 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 ...

* Colwyn medal in 1971 of the Institution of the Rubber Industry * Witco Award in Polymer Chemistry of the American Chemical Society * Technical Award of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers * Charles Goodyear Medal of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferry, John D. 1912 births 2002 deaths People from Dawson City Stanford University alumni Canadian chemists 20th-century American chemists University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Scientists from Madison, Wisconsin Polymer scientists and engineers Fellows of the American Physical Society Canadian emigrants to the United States