John Johnston (October 13, 1881 – September 12, 1950) was a Scottish born chemist. A native of Perth, Scotland, Johnston was born on October 13, 1881. He earned a bachelor's of science degree in 1903 and a doctor of science in 1908. From 1903 to 1905, Johnston's studies at St. Andrews University were funded by the

Carnegie Scholar The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Carnegie Corporation has endowed or otherwise helped to establis ...

ship. He began working at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 1907, leaving the next year for a position at the Geophysical Laboratory at the

Carnegie Institution for Science The Carnegie Institution of Washington (the organization's legal name), known also for public purposes as the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS), is an organization in the United States established to fund and perform scientific research. Th ...

. In 1916, Johnston became head of research for the American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Company, subsequently moving to the

U.S. Bureau of Mines For most of the 20th century, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary Federal government of the United States, United States government agency conducting scientific research and disseminating information on the extraction, proce ...

in 1917, and the

National Research Council National Research Council may refer to: * National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development * National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome * National Research Council (United States), part of ...

in 1918. He taught at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

starting in 1919. From 1920, Johnston served as the school's first Sterling Professor. He resigned the position in 1927, returning to industry as head of research for the

U.S. Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

. Johnston retired from U.S. Steel in 1946. He was a member of several scientific societies, serving on the editorial board of 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 ...

from 1914 to 1923, and as councilor in 1936. Johnston also led the Electrochemical Society as president between 1934 and 1935.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, John Alumni of the University of St Andrews 1950 deaths 20th-century Scottish scientists Scottish chemists Scottish expatriates in the United States People from Perth, Scotland Yale University faculty Yale Sterling Professors 1881 births Presidents of the Electrochemical Society