Death of Professor Emeritus Harden McConnell

Professor Emeritus Harden McConnell died on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, following a long illness. He is survived by his widow Sophia, two sons, Hunter and Trevor, a daughter, Jane, a daughter-in-law, Oksana, and one grand-daughter.

Harden was born on July 18, 1927 in Richmond Virginia, and his interest in science, particularly chemistry, began when he discovered a box of copper sulfate crystals in the basement of his home at the approximate age of 12. His interest in chemistry grew as “one chemical quickly led to another” and he completed his Bachelor of Science at George Washington University in 1947, a PhD from the California Institute of Technology in 1951, with Norman Davidson, and a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, with Robert Mulliken, at the University of Chicago in 1952. Upon completion of his postdoc, Harden went to work doing spectroscopy for Shell Development Company, where he did pioneering work in magnetic resonance that led to a professorship at the California Institute of Technology in 1956. Then, in 1964, Harden moved to the Stanford Chemistry Department where he served until his retirement.

As the Robert Eckles Swain Professor of Chemistry, Harden was a brilliant scientist – one of the leading physical chemists of the last 50 years. His work provided the foundation for many areas within science today, and has been internationally recognized by the many awards he has received, including the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize, and election to the National Academy of Science.