Richard H. Holm

Richard Hadley Holm (September 24, 1933 – February 15, 2021) was an American inorganic chemist.

Biography A native of Boston, Massachusetts, As an independent researcher, he joined the chemistry faculty at Harvard University in 1962. He was later on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University prior to returning to Harvard in 1980. These discoveries were significant in the development of bioinorganic chemistry. He continued his work in the field of iron-sulfur clusters until the end, examining the active sites of the enzymes nitrogenase and carbon monoxide dehydrogenase. Additionally, his interests included the biomimetic chemistry of molybdenum- and tungsten-containing oxo-transferases.

Awards His accomplishments were honored with numerous awards including the National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences. and the F.A. Cotton Medal for Excellence in Chemical Research of the American Chemical Society in 2005. He was a member of National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the co-recipient of the 2016 Welch Award in Chemistry along with Stephen J. Lippard.

Personal life Holm met his future wife Florence while he was in college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where they were pen-pals. They married upon her graduation. Holm is survived by his wife, their four children, Sharon, Eric Richard, Christian, and Marg, and five grandchildren.