Jerome Karle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerome Karle
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Jerome Karfunkle
June 18, 1918 New York, New York, U.S.
|
| Died | June 6, 2013 (aged 94) Annandale, Virginia, U.S.
|
| Resting place | Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | City College of New York Harvard University University of Michigan |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1985 Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2009 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physical chemistry |
| Doctoral advisor | Lawrence O. Brockway |
Jerome Karle (born Jerome Karfunkle; June 18, 1918 – June 6, 2013) was an American physical chemist. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1985. He shared the prize with Herbert A. Hauptman. They won for finding a way to figure out the exact shapes of crystal structures using X-ray scattering techniques. This method is super important for understanding how molecules are built.
Early Life and Learning
Jerome Karle was born in New York City on June 18, 1918. His family was Jewish and loved the arts. Young Jerome played the piano and entered many contests. But he was much more interested in science!
He went to Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. Later, two other students from his school, Arthur Kornberg and Paul Berg, also won Nobel Prizes. As a kid, Karle loved playing handball, ice skating, touch football, and swimming in the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
He started college when he was only 15 years old. He earned his first degree from the City College of New York in 1937. He studied biology, chemistry, and math. Then, he got a master's degree from Harvard University in 1938, focusing on biology.
To save money for more schooling, Karle worked in Albany, New York. He worked for the New York State Department of Health. There, he created a way to measure fluoride levels in water. This method became a standard for adding fluoride to drinking water.
In 1940, he started studying at the University of Michigan. He met his future wife, Isabella Lugoski, there. They were sitting at desks next to each other in a chemistry class. They got married in 1942. Both of them studied for their PhDs with the same chemistry professor, Lawrence Brockway. Jerome finished his studies in 1943 and received his PhD in 1944.
Discovering Crystal Structures
In 1943, after finishing his studies, Karle worked on a secret science project during World War II at the University of Chicago. His wife, Dr. Isabella Karle, also worked on this project. In 1944, they moved back to the University of Michigan. There, Karle worked on a project for the United States Naval Research Laboratory. In 1946, they moved to Washington, D.C. to work full-time for the Naval Research Laboratory.
Jerome Karle and Herbert A. Hauptman won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1985. They figured out how to use X-rays to find the exact structure of crystals. Imagine a crystal as a tiny building made of atoms. X-rays can help us see where each atom is placed. This method is called "direct methods."
By finding the exact spot of atoms in a crystal, scientists can learn the shape of molecules. This helps them understand how materials work. This discovery has been very important for making new medicines and other useful materials.
Jerome Karle and his wife retired from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory on July 31, 2009. They had worked for the U.S. Government for a combined 127 years! Jerome started in 1944, and Isabella joined two years later. When he retired, Karle was the Chief Scientist for the Laboratory for the Structure of Matter. The United States Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, gave them the Navy's highest award for civilian employees.
Family Life
Jerome Karle was married to Isabella Helen Lugoski (1921-2017). They had three daughters, and all of them became scientists:
- Louise Karle (born 1946) studies how chemicals work in theory.
- Jean Karle (born 1950) studies how chemicals are made and react.
- Madeleine Karle (born 1955) is a museum expert who knows a lot about rocks and the Earth.
Later Years
_and_Isabella_Lugoski_Karle_(1921-2017).jpg)
Jerome Karle passed away on June 6, 2013, in Annandale, Virginia. He was almost 95 years old. He is buried at the Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Jerome Karle para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
