Robert S. Mulliken

@Physicists, Birthday and Family ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Robert Sanderson Mulliken was an American physicist and chemist who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1966 for his work on the structure of molecules American Massachusetts Institute Of Technology University Of Chicago Scientists Physicists Chemists Gemini Celebrities Robert Sanderson Mulliken was an American physicist and chemist who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1966 for his work on the structure of molecules. Starting to work on the theory of molecular structures from 1920, Mulliken devoted his entire life to electron and quantum theory and was primarily responsible for the development of ‘Molecular Orbital Theory’, a method of computing the structure of molecules. He was affectionately called as ‘Mr. Molecule’. Mulliken along with Linus Pauling is credited to be the founder of Theoretical Quantum Chemistry. He was instrumental in developing the basic concepts of molecular structure and thereby bringing forth its terminology and spectra. His area of work covered two major scientific disciplines and that was the reason he alternated between physics and chemistry. Thus he has carved the niche for also bringing in the contributions of mathematics and computers into his study. His field of expertise was so complex that when Mulliken received the Nobel Prize, he did not even attempt to explain his work in layman terms to the audience. He has also contributed to develop the atomic bomb during the World War II.

Personal Details

Birthday: June 7, 1896 Died on: October 31, 1986 Nationality: American Famous: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, University Of Chicago, Scientists, Physicists, Chemists Spouses: Mary Helen Von Noe Known as: Robert Sanderson Mulliken Universities: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT),University Of Chicago MIT University of Chicago Information Detail Birthday June 7, 1896 Died on October 31, 1986 Nationality American Famous Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, University Of Chicago, Scientists, Physicists, Chemists Spouses Mary Helen Von Noe Known as Robert Sanderson Mulliken Universities Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT),University Of Chicago MIT University of Chicago Notable Alumnis Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) University Of Chicago Birth Place Newburyport, Massachusetts, US Gender Male Father Samuel Parsons Mulliken Mother Katherine W. Mulliken Sun Sign Gemini Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, US Famous as Chemist, Physicist Died at Age 90

Newburyport, Massachusetts, US

Robert S. Mulliken born at Unsplash Birth Place

Robert Mulliken was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on June 7, 1896 to Samuel Parsons Mulliken and Katherine W. Mulliken. Samuel Mulliken was a professor of Organic Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He assisted his father in editorial work of his four volume text book on ‘Organic Compound Identification’ and eventually became a master of the nomenclature of organic chemistry. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

As a child, Mulliken had a brilliant as well as a selective memory. For instance, he mastered the botanical name of plants, but couldn’t remember his most favorite German high school teacher. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Mulliken graduated from school in 1913 and received a scholarship to join the MIT which his father had also received, during his education. Like his father, he also took up majors in chemistry. He received his B.S degree in chemistry from MIT in 1917. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1917, the United States had just entered the World War I and Mulliken got a wartime job as a Junior Chemical Engineer and worked for the United States Bureau of Mines. He also conducted research on poisonous gases at the American University, Washington D.C at that time. Unsplash Career

After World War I ended in 1918, Mulliken worked as a Chemist at the New Jersey Zinc Company for a year. Unsplash Career

He realized that it was not what he wanted to do and quit the job to pursue a PhD at the University of Chicago in 1919. Unsplash Career

He obtained his doctorate in 1921 for his research on separation of isotopes of the molecules of Mercury by evaporation. He continued with his isotope research until he attended a course conducted by Nobel laureate physicist Robert A. Millikan, which kick started his interest in Quantum theory. Unsplash Career

In 1925, Mulliken travelled to Europe and worked on Quantum Mechanics with outstanding scientists of the time such as Erwin Schrodinger, Max Born, Werner Heisenberg and others for the next two years. Unsplash Career

In 1927, Mulliken worked with Friedrich Hund and developed the Hund-Mulliken theory. Unsplash Major Works

He was also responsible for developing the ‘Mulliken Population Analysis’, a method of assigning charges to atoms in a molecule. Unsplash Major Works

In 1934, he devised a method for estimating the electro negativity of elements. It was not as popular as Pauling electro negativity which can be found in textbooks, but considered to be a better indicator of the electro negativity property by experts. Unsplash Major Works

During the World War II (from 1942 to 1945), he collaborated in the Manhattan project and was appointed as the Director of Information Division for the Plutonium Project at the University of Chicago. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	June 7, 1896
Died on	October 31, 1986
Nationality	American
Famous	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, University Of Chicago, Scientists, Physicists, Chemists
Spouses	Mary Helen Von Noe
Known as	Robert Sanderson Mulliken
Universities	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT),University Of Chicago MIT University of Chicago
Notable Alumnis	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) University Of Chicago
Birth Place	Newburyport, Massachusetts, US
Gender	Male
Father	Samuel Parsons Mulliken
Mother	Katherine W. Mulliken
Sun Sign	Gemini
Born in	Newburyport, Massachusetts, US
Famous as	Chemist, Physicist
Died at Age	90

Robert S. Mulliken

American

Jun 7, 1896

Biography

Personal Details

Newburyport, Massachusetts, US