Paul J. Flory (1910-1985)

Awarded the Prize “for his fundamental achievements, both theoretical experimental, in the physical chemistry of the macromolecules.”

American physical chemist. Flory was born on June 19, 1910 in Sterling. He was educated at Ohio State University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1934. He worked with Du Pont from 1934 until 1938 then spent the next two years at the University of Cincinnati. After working for Stard Oil from 1940 until 1943, he served as Director of Fundamental Research for the Goodyear Tire Company. He was then appointed to Chair of Chemistry at Cornell. He became Director of Research of the Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh in 1961, accepted the Chair of Chemistry at Stanford University, California. Flory died on September 9, 1985 in Big Sur, California.