Emeritus Professor Honored by American Chemical Society

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — George Blyholder, a University of Arkansas professor emeritus, was honored for 50 years of service to the American Chemical Society.

The UA Local Section of the American Chemical Society hosted a dinner in his honor at Ella’s Restaurant at the Inn at Carnall Hall, Thursday, May 12.

In 1959, he joined the chemistry department, as it was known then, as assistant professor, and he retired as full professor in 1995 after 36 years of service. His service record includes being vice chair of the department and a member of the Fulbright College Cabinet. Additionally, he served two terms as the chairman of the UA Local Section of the society and served as president of the UA Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and the UA Chapter of the American Association University Professors. He holds membership in Who’s Who in Science, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Sigma Xi and Sigma Pi Sigma.

Throughout his career he published more than 89 research papers in the area of physical chemistry. Blyholder’s research in surface chemistry and catalysis involved both pioneering spectroscopic methods to study adsorbed species and quantum calculations of models for intermediates in catalytic processes.

His paper “Molecular Orbital View of Chemisorbed Carbon Monoxide,” published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry in 1964, provided a simple qualitative explanation of the binding of carbon monoxide on transition metal surfaces. To date, this paper has been cited 1,003 times. His other publications have also been heavily cited, more than 2,500 times. The standard Blyholder model has become the main qualitative theory for chemisorption on metal surfaces.

Members of the American Chemistry Society honored for 50 years of service receive a certificate, a special pin and a permanent badge entitling them to free registration at all ACS national and regional meetings.