Stoddard, John Tappan, 1852-1919

Stoddard was educated at Amherst College (A.B., 1874) and the University of Göttingen (Ph. D., 1878). He taught chemistry at Smith College, 1878-1919.

From the description of John Tappan Stoddard papers, ca. 1880-1919. (Smith College). WorldCat record id: 52851007

John Tappan Stoddard was born October 20, 1852 to William H. and Helen H. Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts. He is a descendant of Solomon Stoddard, the second minister of Northampton, known for the "halfway covenant" and for being the grandfather of Jonathan Edwards. On June 26, John Stoddard married Mary Grover Leavitt, with whom he would have two sons and a daughter.

Stoddard graduated from Amherst College in 1874. He served as Assistant Principle of Northampton High in 1875 before going to the University of Göttingen, where he studied under Hans Hubner and received his doctorate in 1878.

In 1878 Stoddard was appointed by President Seeyle as the instructor of Mathematics and Physics. In 1881 he became head of the departments of physics and chemistry and in 1897 became the head of the chemistry department. He was the "heart and soul" of Colloquium, a departmental chemistry club where informal discussions about the subject could be conducted between students and faculty similar to seminars in the German universities.

Stoddard is also credited with inventing the Stoddard test tube clamp around 1886, a device which is still used today.

John Tappan Stoddard served Smith College for 41 years. Following Stoddard's sudden death on December 9, 1919, the Chemistry building of the college, which he helped design, was named in his honor.

From the guide to the John Tappan Stoddard Papers RG 42., 1877-2001, (Smith College Archives)