Hogness, T. R. (Thorfin Rusten), 1894-

Professor of Chemistry, University of Chicago.

Thorfin R. Hogness served as Professor of Chemistry at the University of Chicago and served on important projects such as the Manhattan project and defense research.

A native of Minnesota, (9 Dec 1894), Hogness received his B.S. From the University of Minnesota in 1919 and his Ch.E. degree in chemical engineering in 1919. He began instructing at the University of California which granted him a Ph.D. in 1921. From 1926-1927 Hogness enjoyed a research fellowship at the University of Gottingen, Germany. He then joined the staff of the University of Chicago in 1930 as an associate professor and was appointed a full professor in 1938.

During WWII Hogness performed as a scientific liaison in London at the Office of Scientific Research and Development and then moved to ETOUSA (European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army) as a civilian intelligence officer.

In 1943 Hogness organized the Maryland Research Laboratory of the National Defense Research Committee and the Office of Strategic Services. Later that year he returned to the University of Chicago to develop the Manhattan project. Hogness was the director of the chemistry division of the Manhattan District Plutonium Project. After the projects fruition he convinced then Army Chief of Staff Dwight D. Eisenhower and Sen. Arthur H. Vandenberg that atomic power should be developed by civilian scientists rather than by military scientists. He claimed that it is “the hope of every nuclear scientist, as of every good “citizen of the world” that the atomic bomb will force all nations into an accord and make for a lasting peace.

Following WWII, Hogness continued at the University of Chicago where he worked on defense research, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. In 1946, at the request of Albert Einstein, Linus Pauling along with Hogness, Hans A. Bethe, Selig Hecht, Philip Morse, Leo Szilard, Harold C. Urey, and Victor F. Weisskopf formed the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, of which Einstein was chairman. The most important task of this committee was to bring to the notice of people everywhere the tremendous change that had taken place in the world after the splitting of the atom and the production of the atomic bomb had become fact. In the words of the author Robert Jungk, “it was a crusade undertaken by men who were children in political affairs.” Hogness also participated in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He directed the Institute of Radiobiology and biophysics from 1948-1951 and established the Chicago Midway Laboratories in 1951 where he remained until 1961.

Hogness’ titles include Qualitative Analysis and Chemical Equilibrium (with Warren C. Johnson, 1937) and Ionic Equilibrium (with Warren C. Johnson, 1937) in addition to numerous articles.

Hogness participated in many organizations that included; the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Emergency committee of Atomic Scientist, Sigma Xi and the American Association of University Professors.

In particular Hogness studied the ionization of gases by electron impact; photochemistry; chemistry kinetics; spectroscopy and physical chemistry applied to biological systems and respiratory enzymes.

Hogness passed on February 14, 1976 in San Jose, California.