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

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe t ...

and biochemist noted for development of surgical products from

blood plasma Blood plasma is a light amber-colored liquid component of blood in which blood cells are absent, but contains proteins and other constituents of whole blood in suspension. It makes up about 55% of the body's total blood volume. It is the intr ...

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 called Ferry "a towering figure in

polymer science Polymer science or macromolecular science is a subfield of materials science concerned with polymers, primarily synthetic polymers such as plastics and elastomers. The field of polymer science includes researchers in multiple disciplines includ ...

". 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, ...

said that he was "undoubtedly the most widely recognized research pioneer in the study of motional dynamics in macromolecular systems by

viscoelastic In materials science and continuum mechanics, viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. Viscous materials, like water, resist shear flow and strain linearly ...

techniques".

Education

Ferry was born in

Dawson City Dawson City, officially the City of Dawson, is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest town in Yuko ...

Yukon Territory Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, Canada. At age 19, Ferry received his bachelor of arts degree at Stanford University 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 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 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 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 Stat ...

in 1946 and was made a full professor the following year. Ferry was chairman of the Department of Chemistry at

from 1959 to 1967. He was a founding member of the Rheology Research Center at Wisconsin. In 1973 Ferry was a

Farrington Daniels Farrington Daniels (March 8, 1889 – June 23, 1972) was an American physical chemist who is considered one of the pioneers of the modern direct use of solar energy. Biography Daniels was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 8, 1889. Dani ...

Research Professor.

Professional memberships

He was affiliated with the following organizations: * National Academy of Sciences member * Chairman of the Committee on Macromolecular Chemistry of 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 ...

* 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 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 ...

Bingham Medal The Bingham Medal is an annual award for outstanding contributions to the field of rheology awarded at the Annual Meeting of The Society of Rheology. It was instituted in 1948 by the society to commemorate Eugene C. Bingham (1878–1945). List o ...

of the Society of Rheology * Colloid Chemistry Award of the

* High Polymer Physics Prize of the American Physical Society *

Colwyn medal Colwyn was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales. History The borough was created on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered ...

in 1971 of the Institution of the Rubber Industry * Witco Award in Polymer Chemistry of the

* Technical Award of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers *

Charles Goodyear Medal The Charles Goodyear Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. Established in 1941, the award is named after Charles Goodyear, the discoverer of vulcanization, and consists of a gold medal, a framed ...

of the Rubber Division of the

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