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John Christian Bailar, Jr., (1904-1991) was instructor (1928-30), associate (1930-35), assistant professor (1935-39), associate professor (1939-43), professor (1943-72), and professor emeritus (1972-91) of chemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He also served as head of the Division of Inorganic Chemistry (1941-67). He is best known for his pioneering research in the field of coordination chemistry and for his impactful role as educator.
Bailar was born in Golden, Colorado, on May 27, 1904, to Rachel Ella Work and John Christian Bailar. He earned a B.A. (1924) and M.A. (1925) in chemistry from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (1928). Bailar joined the staff of the University of Illinois in 1928, and, over the course of his career, became known as a highly effective educator, advising some 90 Ph.D. students during his tenure. His many research interests included homogeneous catalysis, isomerism, polymers, dyestuffs, and solid-state reactions.
Bailar published more than 200 scientific papers; almost 40 articles on chemistry education and the chemistry profession; and 11 textbooks and monographs. He was cofounder (and editor in 1959) of the
Bailar was married to Florence Catherwood and had two sons, one of which was the academic John Christian Bailar III (1932-2016). He died in Urbana, Illinois, on October 17, 1991.
Sources:
Wikipedia, s.v. "John C. Bailar Jr.," accessed May 6, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Bailar_Jr.
"About John C. Bailar, Jr.," UIUC Department of Chemistry, accessed May 6, 2020,
Gregory S. Girolami, "John C. Bailar, Jr. 1904-1991: In Memoriam,"
"John Christian Bailor III: 1932-2016," accessed January 14, 2021, https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?pid=181400778.
This Collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
4/1/1965; 5/27/69; 1/12/84; 6/20/91; 4/6/11
Chronological.
Papers of John Christian Bailar, Jr. (1904-1991), professor of Chemistry (1935-72), including tape-recorded (1964) and videotaped (1988) recollections relating to parents, youth, interest in chemistry, high school at Golden, University of Colorado, teachers, chemistry courses, master's work at colorado, doctoral work on free radicals under Moses Gomberg at Michigan, 1928 appointment at Illinois, general chemistry courses, complex ions, administrative duties, placement work, chemical industry, Chemical Society building, Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, Division of Inorganic Chemistry, family, philosophy of science, university training, evaluation of students and research and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
The series includes reprints of publications on inorganic chemistry, the stereochemistry of complex inorganic compounds and chemical education (1928, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1936-38, 1940, 1944-55, 1956-69) and a program and autographed volume for the John C. Bailar Jr. Symposium on Coordination Chemistry (1969).
The series also includes Taylor-Hickey family letters (1852-57); Manson Martin Civil War letters (1862-65); Emma and Lizzie Martin notes and diary as medical missionaries in Beijing, China during the Boxer Rebellion (1900-01); and copies of Emma Martin's letters from China (1900-04, 1910-12, 1921-23). Florence Catherwood Bailar was a niece of Emma Martin and a granddaughter of Manson Martin.