Irving Klotz
Annually, the Major in Biological Sciences considers students for the Irving Klotz Prize for Basic Research.
Irving Myron Klotz was born January 22, 1916 in Chicago, IL to Frank and Mollie Klotz. He attended the University of Chicago, completed a B.S. in Chemistry in 1937 and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in 1940. He entered college during the Great Depression and graduated with his Ph.D. just at the start of World War II, so post-graduation (after another job fell through) Klotz pursued a postdoctoral position at Northwestern University, and simultaneously worked there as a part-time Chemistry professor. The war effort gave Klotz a job opportunity to research for the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC; headquartered at Northwestern) from 1941-1945. Klotz was awarded tenure at Northwestern in 1947, the same year he married his first wife Themis Askounis Klotz, with whom he had two children, a son Edward and a daughter Audie. He re-married in 1966 to Mary Sue Hanlon Klotz and had a son, David.
Klotz was named Morrison Professor at Northwestern in 1963 and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1970. While at Northwestern Klotz taught courses primarily in chemistry, biology and biochemistry, and is well-known for his book Chemical Thermodynamics, first published in 1950, a textbook for students that was readable - even for those not in the sciences. The textbook is still being published, the 7th edition of which was printed in 2008. During his professional career Klotz published over 400 research articles and books, and lectured extensively across the country and the world, and even made appearances in Belgium, Italy and Israel. Klotz's most famous lecture was entitled “The Clouded Crystal Ball”, lauded for being an entertaining and informative look at scientific history and the many errors and misconceptions involved therein.
Along with research interests ranging from thermodynamics to protein structure and function, lecturing and consulting for companies including Abbott Research Laboratories and the Toni Company, Klotz was very involved at Northwestern. Throughout his career Klotz worked on various Northwestern committees, which included curriculum evaluation and planning, review of degree requirements and the addition of a six year medical school program, implemented by Klotz and others. Klotz was also involved in many organizations outside of the Northwestern community, which included the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he was a Fellow, and was also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; in the 1950s and 1960s he worked extensively with the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, MA.
Klotz retired in 1986, but continued his research, publishing, and lectures as Professor Emeritus. His career of research led to scientific breakthroughs, some of them include setting forth the framework for understanding small molecule and biological macromolecule interactions, the use of sensitive spectroscopic probes, and his extensive work with anti sickling agents to examine effects on hemoglobin. At the time of his passing on April 27, 2005, at the age of 89, Klotz had left an indelible mark on both the scientific and Northwestern communities.
Biography from Northwestern Library.
Image from the National Academy of Sciences.