William M. Jackson (chemist) facts for kids

Bill Jackson at a NOBCChE Meeting in 2022

William Morgan Jackson (born September 24, 1936) is a famous chemist and professor. He is known for his amazing work in astrochemistry, which is the study of chemicals in space. He was one of the first scientists to explore how chemicals behave in comets.

Dr. Jackson also helped develop special laser tools. These tools help us understand the air around planets. He is a member of many important science groups. Besides his research, he is a great mentor. He has helped many young people, especially those from minority groups, get into science. He even helped start a group called the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

In 2019, he won the Arthur B.C. Walker II Award. This award was for his research and for helping make science more diverse. In 2021, he received the Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize. This prize recognized his important work in chemistry and his excellent teaching. It also honored his lifelong dedication to helping many different people in science.

Early Life and Challenges

William Morgan Jackson was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 24, 1936. He grew up during a time when society was segregated. This meant people of different races were kept separate. Part of his childhood was spent in an area called Dynamite Hill. This was a difficult time and place for many families.

His father, who went to Tuskegee University, owned a taxi company. He also taught auto mechanics at Parker High School. His mother worked for the U.S. government. When William was nine, he got sick with polio. He had to stay out of school for a whole year because of it.

His Education Journey

After finishing tenth grade, William went to Morehouse College early. He received a full scholarship to study there. At first, he thought about studying mathematics. But after meeting a chemistry professor, Henry Cecil McBay, he decided to study chemistry instead.

He graduated in 1956. He then applied to several graduate schools. One school said they had already given their scholarships to other African American students. So, William moved to Washington, D.C.. He got a job and lived with his cousin. He studied at the Catholic University of America. There, he earned a special research scholarship.

During his studies, he worked on different projects. He even took a break when his wife was expecting a baby. He worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to earn money. He finished his PhD in 1961. After that, he worked at Lockheed Martin. He then returned to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. There, he studied how light energy affects chemicals.

Amazing Discoveries and Research

In 1964, Dr. Jackson started working at the Goddard Space Flight Center. This is where he became very interested in free radicals in comets. Free radicals are tiny, very active chemical pieces. He wanted to know how they formed in space. He even suggested using a satellite to look for comets.

He later joined the University of Pittsburgh for a year. There, he studied how electrons hit molecules. After that, he went back to Goddard. He created a new way to find free radicals using laser beams.

In 1974, Dr. Jackson began teaching at Howard University. He started using a method called laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). This method uses lasers to study how molecules break apart when light hits them. He was the first to show that LIF could be used this way. He mainly studied comets using satellites and telescopes on Earth. He used experiments and predictions to figure out how free radicals form inside comets.

Even after leaving Goddard, he led a team that observed Halley's Comet with a special telescope. In 1985, he joined the University of California, Davis. He became a Distinguished Professor in 1998. His lab, nicknamed "Jackson's Photon Crusaders," built special lasers. These lasers could find and study free radicals.

By building these laser systems, Dr. Jackson helped us understand the excited states of molecules. These molecules are found in the air around planets. His experiments used one laser to break apart a molecule. Then, another laser would make the free radical glow. This glow was then captured and studied. He has studied chemicals like carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

In 1996, an asteroid was named (4322) Billjackson in his honor! He led the Chemistry Department at UC Davis in 2000. He retired in 2006 but kept doing research and helping students. In 2013, he became the Emile A. Dickenson Professor at UC Davis. In 2019, a special issue of a science journal was dedicated to him.

Helping Others in Science

Dr. Jackson has always worked to make science fair and open to everyone. He was one of the people who started the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). This group helps and celebrates minority scientists and engineers. It also encourages high school students to study science or engineering.

He was the first treasurer for NOBCChE starting in 1973. He said he was inspired to start the group after going to a science meeting and seeing no African Americans there. He has been very involved with NOBCChE ever since. He even spoke to Congress to ask for more money for colleges that mainly serve Black students.

When he came to UC Davis, very few minority students had earned chemistry PhDs there. Dr. Jackson helped get funding to change this. He increased the number of minority students in the chemistry department to about 15%. He was known for bringing students and researchers into his lab who might have been overlooked by others. He helped them become important scientists.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Jackson has received many awards for his important work and dedication:

• 1986 NOBCChE Percy L. Julian Award
• 1989 Guggenheim Fellow
• 1991 Catholic University of America Alumni Award
• 1995 Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society
• 1996 Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Award
• 1997 American Association for the Advancement of Science Lifetime Mentor Award
• 2002, 2003 Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer
• 2004 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 2010 Elected Fellow of the American Chemical Society
• 2011 Morehouse College Bennie Trailblazer Award
• 2015 University of California, Davis Emeritus Award
• 2019 Astronomical Society of the Pacific Arthur B.C. Walker II Award
• 2021 American Physical Society Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize