Ebenezer Emmet Reid

Reid c. 1915, Johns Hopkins University archives

Ebenezer Emmet Reid (June 27, 1872 – December 21, 1973) was an American chemist and a professor at Johns Hopkins University. During World War I he worked on chemical warfare, particularly teargas. His specialization was on organic sulfur chemistry.

Life and work

Reid was born in Fincastle, Virginia, and studied chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. He received a doctorate for work on kinetics of the hydrolysis of acid amides under Ira Remsen in 1898. He became a teacher of chemistry in 1908 and worked until 1936. During World War I he was involved in research on chemical warfare agents at the American University Experimental Station. He was involved in created tear gas. He specialized on organic sulfur compounds. He identified the mechanism of ester hydrolysis in 1910, noting that it involves the fission of acyl-oxygen based on his studies on thioesters and thiols. He wrote an autobiography at the age of 100 that he called "My First One Hundred Years". He travelled through research departments by bus four times a year encouraging and advising researchers. Even after his retirement, with failing eyesight and arthritis, he published 140 articles. He learned Braille, typing by touch and had students read material for him. He served as an industrial and government consultant at least until 1950. In 1961 he produced a second edition of his 1924 book Invitation to Chemical Research adding a Spanish translation as well. His wife Margaret predeceased him in 1967 and they had a daughter and two sons. Johns Hopkins University established the E. Emmet Reid Chair in chemistry in his honour.

Other sources

• Reid, Ebenezer Emmet (1972). My First One Hundred Years. Chemical Publishing Company.

External links

• Biography
• Extract from Reid on Beaufort boats
• Organic Chemistry Of Bivalent Sulfur