Nobel Prize Recipient. Dr. Irving Langmuir, an American chemist, received world-wide recognition after being awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He received this covet award, according to the Nobel Prize committee, "for his discoveries and investigations in surface chemistry." He received fifteen nominations from 1916 until 1932 for a Nobel candidacy. After developing a theory in 1917, he published the 1919 article "The Arrangement of Electrons in Atoms and Molecules,” which outlined his "concentric theory of atomic structure". Langmuir had extended the research of a professor at University of California at Berkeley, Dr. Gilbert Newton Lewis, earlier theory of the chemical bond. For this research, he received the 1932 Nobel Prize. He was the second American and the first industrial chemist to receive this honor. Besides surface chemistry, his 50-year scientific research included chemical reactions, thermal effects, electrical discharges in gases as well as atomic structure; surface phenomena in a vacuum; and atmospheric science. Born the third son of four, he received his early education in local schools before going to Paris, France then graduating from a Pennsylvania high school in 1898 . At the age of eleven, he was diagnosed with poor vision and was prescribed corrective glasses. In 1903, he graduated as a metallurgical engineer from the School of Mines at Columbia University in New York City. Traveling to Germany, he had postgraduate studies in Physical Chemistry at the University of Gottingen, earning a M.A. and then a Ph.D. in 1906. His doctoral thesis was entitled "On the Partial Recombination of Dissolved Gases During Cooling." Upon returning to the United States, he accepted a poor-paying position of Instructor in Chemistry at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey with little opportunity for research; he left July of 1909. At that point he then entered the Research Laboratory of the General Electric Company at Schenectady where he eventually became Associate Director. During World War II, he researched on improving naval sonar for submarine detection, and later to develop protective smoke screens and methods for deicing aircraft wings. While at GE, he registered three patents. He retired from General Electric in 1950 but became a consultant until his death. He loved his work. As a consultant he coined the term “ Pathological Science,” describing research conducted with accordance to the scientific method, but tainted by unconscious bias or subjective effects. His focus was mainly embracing chemistry, physics, and engineering , with studies of vacuum phenomena. Besides the Nobel Prize, he received the Nichols Medal in 1915 and 1920; Hughes Medal in 1918; Rumford Medal in 1921; Cannizzaro Prize in 1925; Perkin Medal in 1928; School of Mines Medal from Columbia University in 1929; Chardler Medal in 1929; Willard Gibbs Medal in 1930; Popular Science Monthly Award in 1932; Franklin Medal and Holly Medal in 1934; John Scott Award in 1937; “Modern Pioneer of Industry Award” in 1940; Faraday Medal in 1944; Mascart Medal in 1950. In addition, he was a member of many learned scientific societies, served as President of the American Chemical Society and as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He held honorary degrees from ten United States universities, along with one from Scotland, Canada, and England. After working alongside author Kurt Vonnegut’s brother, Vonnegut published in 1953 a satirical novel, “Cat’s Cradle,” based on Langmuir’s life with liberties and a hint of science fiction. His name was used on several scientific laws. In 1912, he married and the couple adopted a son and a daughter. After his health declined in a short time, he died of a heart attack. In his honor, Langmuir College, a residential college at Stony Brook University in New York was named for him in 1970; Mount Langmuir in Alaska was named for him; and the surface chemistry journal published by the American Chemical Society was named for him.