Charles Tanford
Encyclopedia
Charles Tanford was an author and one of the preeminent protein chemists of his generation. He died in York, England on October 1, 2009.
, Germany in 1921 to Majer and Charlotte Tannenbaum. His parents, who were Jewish, fled to England in 1929 anticipating the coming rule of the Nazi party, and changed their name to Tanford. Many of his relatives stayed behind in Germany despite his attempts to persuade them to leave and perished in the holocaust. At the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, Charles was sent to New York to live with relatives. There he earned a B.A. from NYU in 1943, worked on the Manhattan Project
in Oak Ridge
, and then earned a PhD in Chemistry from Princeton in 1947. He did post-graduate work in protein chemistry at Harvard in the lab of Edwin Cohn and John Edsall. He joined the faculty at the University of Iowa in 1950, and then moved to Duke University
in 1960 where he taught for almost 30 years. He was named a James B. Duke distinguished professor in 1970.
While at Harvard, he married Lucia L. Brown. They had three children, Vicki, Alex and Sarah. Charles was divorced in 1968, and soon thereafter began a professional and personal relationship with Dr. Jacqueline A. Reynolds, a fellow biochemist, that would last until his death. Charles had a long and successful academic career. His scientific research focused on the physical chemistry of protein molecules and he is widely known for his two ground-breaking textbooks: The Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules (1961), which dealt with water-soluble macromolecules, and The Hydrophobic Effect (1973) which covered proteins in all their various guises including those within cell membranes. In recognition of his scientific contributions, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. During his career, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Alexander von Humboldt award, the Merck Award for Molecular Biology, and the distinguished Eastman Professorship at Oxford.
He and Dr. Jacqueline Reynolds retired in 1988 and moved to Easingwold
, England, a remote Georgian market town in North Yorkshire
. Here he began a second career writing about the history of science primarily for lay readers. He published Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves: An Informal History of Pouring Oil on Water with Reflections on the Ups and Downs of Scientific Life in General. He and Dr. Reynolds published two books 'A Travel Guide to the Scientific Sites of the British Isles: A Guide to the People, Places and Landmarks' and 'The Scientific Traveler: a Guide to the People, Places and Institutions of Europe,' which was a natural product of their extensive travels; and 'Nature's Robots: A History of Proteins.' They were also frequent contributors to the British scientific magazine Nature
.
Throughout his life, Charles loved conversation, walking, wine, good food, travel, cricket, hiking, Switzerland, France, classical music, murder mysteries and birds.
in
chemistry in 1943. In 1947 he received his Ph.D. from Princeton University
, with a thesis on how gases burn. He then spent two years at Harvard University Medical School in the laboratory of E.J. Cohn, where he changed
his research focus to proteins. After that, he was hired as an assistant professor by the
University of Iowa
, where he was promoted to associate professor in 1954 and full professor in 1959. Duke University
hired him as professor of physical biochemistry in 1960. In 1970 he was named James B. Duke Professor of Biochemistry. He moved to the department of physiology in 1980 where his research efforts were concentrated on the movement of ions across cell membranes together with his collaborators Dr. E.A. Johnson and Dr. J.A. Reynolds..
Tanford retired in 1988, and was a James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology at Duke University until his death in 2009.
in 1956.
In 1972 he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences
(Biophysics and computational biology).
In 1984 he received an Alexander von Humboldt award which he used during a sabbatical in Heidelberg, Germany.
Life
Charles was born in HalleHalle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, Germany in 1921 to Majer and Charlotte Tannenbaum. His parents, who were Jewish, fled to England in 1929 anticipating the coming rule of the Nazi party, and changed their name to Tanford. Many of his relatives stayed behind in Germany despite his attempts to persuade them to leave and perished in the holocaust. At the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, Charles was sent to New York to live with relatives. There he earned a B.A. from NYU in 1943, worked on the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
in Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
, and then earned a PhD in Chemistry from Princeton in 1947. He did post-graduate work in protein chemistry at Harvard in the lab of Edwin Cohn and John Edsall. He joined the faculty at the University of Iowa in 1950, and then moved to Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1960 where he taught for almost 30 years. He was named a James B. Duke distinguished professor in 1970.
While at Harvard, he married Lucia L. Brown. They had three children, Vicki, Alex and Sarah. Charles was divorced in 1968, and soon thereafter began a professional and personal relationship with Dr. Jacqueline A. Reynolds, a fellow biochemist, that would last until his death. Charles had a long and successful academic career. His scientific research focused on the physical chemistry of protein molecules and he is widely known for his two ground-breaking textbooks: The Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules (1961), which dealt with water-soluble macromolecules, and The Hydrophobic Effect (1973) which covered proteins in all their various guises including those within cell membranes. In recognition of his scientific contributions, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. During his career, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Alexander von Humboldt award, the Merck Award for Molecular Biology, and the distinguished Eastman Professorship at Oxford.
He and Dr. Jacqueline Reynolds retired in 1988 and moved to Easingwold
Easingwold
Easingwold is a small market town and a civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 4,233.It is located north of York, at the foot of the Howardian Hills....
, England, a remote Georgian market town in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. Here he began a second career writing about the history of science primarily for lay readers. He published Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves: An Informal History of Pouring Oil on Water with Reflections on the Ups and Downs of Scientific Life in General. He and Dr. Reynolds published two books 'A Travel Guide to the Scientific Sites of the British Isles: A Guide to the People, Places and Landmarks' and 'The Scientific Traveler: a Guide to the People, Places and Institutions of Europe,' which was a natural product of their extensive travels; and 'Nature's Robots: A History of Proteins.' They were also frequent contributors to the British scientific magazine Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
.
Throughout his life, Charles loved conversation, walking, wine, good food, travel, cricket, hiking, Switzerland, France, classical music, murder mysteries and birds.
Education and academic career
Charles Tanford attended university in the United States, graduating from New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in
chemistry in 1943. In 1947 he received his Ph.D. from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, with a thesis on how gases burn. He then spent two years at Harvard University Medical School in the laboratory of E.J. Cohn, where he changed
his research focus to proteins. After that, he was hired as an assistant professor by the
University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, where he was promoted to associate professor in 1954 and full professor in 1959. Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
hired him as professor of physical biochemistry in 1960. In 1970 he was named James B. Duke Professor of Biochemistry. He moved to the department of physiology in 1980 where his research efforts were concentrated on the movement of ions across cell membranes together with his collaborators Dr. E.A. Johnson and Dr. J.A. Reynolds..
Tanford retired in 1988, and was a James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology at Duke University until his death in 2009.
Scientific Achievements
He is credited with the "Tanford-Pease theory of burning velocity". It has been said that he coined the term "hydrophobic effect" but in all his publications he acknowledged the original contributions of G.S. Hartley to this concept and the later efforts of Walter Kauzmann who popularized the idea among biological scientists. In a modesty typical of him Tanford gave great credit to the "giants upon whose shoulders he stood".Honors
Charles Tanford was awarded a Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 1956.
In 1972 he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(Biophysics and computational biology).
In 1984 he received an Alexander von Humboldt award which he used during a sabbatical in Heidelberg, Germany.