Eugene Earle van Tamelen (July 20, 1925 – December 12, 2009) was an

organic chemist Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J. ...

who is especially recognized for his contributions to bioorganic chemistry. van Tamelen published five papers while an undergraduate at

Hope College Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman college class matricu ...

. He conducted graduate work at

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 ...

, receiving his doctorate in 1950 with

Gilbert Stork Gilbert Stork (December 31, 1921 – October 21, 2017) was an organic chemist. For a quarter of a century he was the Eugene Higgins Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at Columbia University. He is known for making significant contributions to the t ...

as his advisor. He began his academic career at the

University of Wisconsin 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, ...

, later joining the faculty of Stanford University, where he spent the majority of his career. Among his many students was Nobelist K. Barry Sharpless. He led a team who were the first persons to achieve the total synthesis of

yohimbine Yohimbine (), also known as quebrachine, is an indole alkaloid derived from the bark of the African tree '' Pausinystalia johimbe''; also from the bark of the unrelated South American tree ''Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco''. Yohimbine is an α2 ...

. He pioneered in what is today called

biomimetic synthesis Biomimetic synthesis is an area of organic chemical synthesis that is specifically biologically inspired. The term encompasses both the testing of a "biogenetic hypothesis" (''conjectured'' course of a biosynthesis in nature) through execution of a ...

. He was the first to identify squalene oxide as a precursor in the biosynthesis of

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

. Van Tamelen was also the first to synthesise

Dewar benzene Dewar benzene (also spelled ''dewarbenzene'') or bicyclo .2.0exa-2,5-diene is a bicyclic isomer of benzene with the molecular formula C6H6. The compound is named after James Dewar who included this structure in a list of possible C6H6 structures ...

. He developed a system for

nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmo ...

using

titanocene Titanocene dichloride is the organotitanium compound with the formula ( ''η''5-C5H5)2TiCl2, commonly abbreviated as Cp2TiCl2. This metallocene is a common reagent in organometallic and organic synthesis. It exists as a bright red solid that slow ...

. van Tamelen was also the owner of the first Marshall Erdman-built

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

-designed pre-fabricated house, commonly known as the "Eugene van Tamelen House". In 1981, van Tamelen became a founding member of the

World Cultural Council The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1981 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...

. Eugene van Tamelen died of cancer in 2009.

Awards

Among his awards, he received the

ACS Award in Pure Chemistry The American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry is awarded annually by the American Chemical Society (ACS) "to recognize and encourage fundamental research in pure chemistry carried out in North America by young men and women." "Young" me ...

in 1961 and was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences.

References

1925 births 2009 deaths People from Zeeland, Michigan Hope College alumni Harvard University alumni American people of Dutch descent 20th-century American chemists Stanford University Department of Chemistry faculty Deaths from cancer Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Founding members of the World Cultural Council {{US-chemist-stub