Stanley H. Simonsen (1918-1996)

Stan Simonsen, Emeritus Prof. of Chemistry at UT Austin, received his doctorate in chemistry in 1949 and joined the faculty of the U. of Texas at Austin. He taught courses, in analytical and general chemistry, and directed the research of many masters, PhD, and postdoctoral students. His research in X-ray crystallography and structural chemistry, resulted in the publication of about 150 journal articles. He was a recipient of one of the earliest research grants from the Robert A. Welch Foundation of Texas. At UT, Stan played a seminal role in the establishment of computing as a research tool. He raised the money to equip a room with air-conditioning, and to pay for electricity to power the operation of their air conditioners and computer. [The U. administration was not yet ready to support such a novel gadget as an electronic computer.] An inveterate tinkerer, Stan also developed a computer-controlled system for the collection of X-ray diffraction intensity data in his lab long before the advent of commercial automated diffractometers. Throughout his career, he was an active member of the American Crystallographic Assn. He served on various committees and as organizing chairman for the Austin meeting in 1987.