Victor La Mer

Victor Kuhn LaMer or La Mer (June 15, 1895 – September 26, 1966) was an American chemist and academic who was a professor at Columbia University. He has been described as "the father of colloid chemistry".

Early life and education

LaMer was born in Leavenworth, Kansas on June 15, 1895. He was the son of Joseph Secondule LaMer and Anna Pauline Kuhn.

He obtained his AB degree from the University of Kansas in 1915. The thesis was summarized in 1921 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and more thoroughly in 1922 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Career

LaMer joined Columbia University as an instructor in physical chemistry in 1920, became a full professor in 1935, and remained there until his retirement in 1961, continuing his scientific work with the status of emeritus professor, and was a senior researcher in mineral technology at Columbia School of Mines. In 1931, LaMer took a sabbatical and went to Stanford University, to be a visiting professor during the spring quarter directing courses in physical chemistry and catalysis.

During World War II, he was a member of the National Defense Research Council, and afterwards, was a consultant to the Atomic Energy Commission.

In 1953, he traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he was a Fulbright professor at the University of Copenhagen.

He was the editor of Journal of Colloid Science (now Journal of Colloid and Interface Science) from its foundation in 1946 until 1965.

Honors

He was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1931 and a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1948. The Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry of the American Chemical Society offers an annual Victor K. LaMer Award for Graduate Research in Colloid and Surface Chemistry. LaMer received the ACS Award in Colloid Chemistry in 1956.

He received the President's Certificate of Merit for his contributions to defense for his research on aerosols.

Personal life and death On July 31, 1918, LaMer married Ethel Agatha McGreevy. They had three daughters.

On September 26, 1966, he died suddenly and unexpectedly while in Nottingham, England to present a paper to a meeting of the Faraday Society.

Select publications