Penn prof, Nobel laureate dies at 79

Chemistry professor Alan MacDiarmid, shown working in a lab, died yesterday afternoon. A Nobel Prize winner, he was internationally acclaimed for his research in inorganic chemistry.

Chemistry professor Alan MacDiarmid, one of three recipients of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, died yesterday afternoon.

He was 79.

MacDiarmid had been suffering from Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a disease that affects the bone marrow and blood, for the past four years.

He passed away due to complications relating to the disease after he fell down the stairs of his home in Drexel Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia.

He was rushed to Delaware County Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about noon.

Born in Masterton, New Zealand, MacDiarmid is survived by his wife, Gayl, and his four children from an earlier marriage, Heather, Dawn, Duncan and Gail.

MacDiarmid came to the University in 1955 and taught undergraduate and graduate courses specializing in inorganic chemistry until he won the Nobel Prize for his discovery that plastics can be made to conduct electricity.

After receiving the prize, he devoted the majority of his time to his research projects, including a U.S. governtment-sponsored effort in which he tried to find ways to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to one that relies on hydrogen.

MacDiarmid was a "very conscious person," said visiting Chemistry researcher Everaldo Venancio, who had been working closely with MacDiarmid since July 2002.

"He was always wondering about ways of [improving] energy . and poverty around the world," he said.

Venancio also said MacDiarmid was easygoing, calling him "a role model" who taught both in and out of the classroom.

"'You're always learning,' he would say," Venancio added. "Of course, we learned more from him than he did from us."

Venancio recalled one summer afternoon, after he first arrived in Philadelphia, when MacDiarmid took him out for lunch to ease his nerves.

"I was embarrassed," Venancio said. "I'm thinking, oh my God, I'm not dressed up, where is he going to bring me? Then he crossed the street and he went to a [food] truck and ordered two hot dogs."

MacDiarmid and his wife hosted annual picnics for his students at the couple's summer home in the Poconos, Gayl MacDiarmid said.

She described her husband as "charming, gracious and giving - . someone insistent on having things the way he thought they should be."

Colleagues likewise remember MacDiarmid as hard-working, someone who "always lived life to the fullest," said Chemistry Department Chairwoman Marsha Lester.

MacDiarmid was the author of over 600 research papers and established research institutes in both China and New Zealand.

MacDiarmid, University officials said, was humble, even with his impressive resume.

"With Alan's passing, we have lost not only a great chemist . but also an enthusiastic friend and wonderful colleague who was modest and gracious," Penn president Amy Gutmann said in a statement last night.

Comments (7)

Dr. MacDiarmid was a knight, whose life was full of battles, at least for his last few years when I worked under his supervision. He was fighting with his cancer. Four years ago, he was predicted to live only for half a year and he scared the death away for much longer time. He was fighting hard with his time. When I was a visiting scholar at U. Penn three years ago, we worked like at the end of world, trying to fully use of every minute. Every morning, before Dr. MacDiarmid came in to the lab, we three postdocs used to tease each other: Hurricane is coming! Hurry up!

I had the honour of working with MacD (as we called him then) as his postdoc and research group leader from 1995 - 1996. Gosh, what a magnificent man he was. A gentleman in all regards, MacD was a fascinating empirical scientist who also became a good applications scientist. Like his family friend and hero, Lord Rutherford (did you know that?) he saw the multidimensionality of research methods, data, and of the world he lived in. Yes, those weekends in the Pocono's will be missed and so would his "zoom, zoom, zoom" personality (MacD coined that phrase before Mazda did!), life philosophies, and the opportunities for students to learn from a good representation of a professor - pizza included ;-). My most profound condolences go to Gayle and the girls. Zoom-on MacD, man extraordinaire. We'll now have to live without your presence but you'll forever live on in a lot of us... David Adebimpe GMA Industries, Inc. Annapolis, MD

I was an undergraduate at Penn, majoring in Chem from '99-'03. While I never had the opportunity to take a course or work with Professor MacDiarmid, I was fortunate enough to be in attendance in Stockholm in 2000 when he received his Nobel Prize. At the party afterwards, Professor MacDiarmid was asked on stage to say a few words. He did better; he performed The Haka, the New Zealand dance typically performed by the All Blacks rugby team before a match. It was an unbelievable sight and, needless to say, he got thunderous applause. Afterwards, when we passed each other at Penn, I would always tease him about his performance, which he took good-naturedly. He will be missed.

I was a good friend of Alan's when we were both graduate students in Madison Wisc. in the early 'fifties. We lived in the same house and late at night, after we had finished studying, would have a cup of tea in his room and talk endlessly. About God, women and the world (not in that order).I had an Instructorship and his first wide was one of my students He influenced my life decisively:I was at loose ends about what I wanted to do after finishing my course work. He persuaded me to apply for a University job in New Zealand, where I then spent three happy years. My wife and I were befriended by his utterly charming parents in Keri Keri (North Island). We lost touch after he got married, something I have always regretted.

Alan Graham MacDiarmid would often say to those in the lab that �?it was better to wear out than rust out�?. For those of us who had the privilege of working with him: these words rang true. He was an outstanding teacher and a great chemist and all who studied with him are saddened by his passing. Sit tibi terra levis. D. P. Nairns Physics Dept. Temple University

Alan MacDiarmid was complex and fascinating man. He was full of life and loved his work. I remember one of his favorite sayings: "I work hard, and I play hard!" He was always working and I often wondered where he found the energy. When working late he would often offer one a ride home...It was a privilege to have worked with him at Penn from 1997-2001.

Dr. Alan G. MacDiarmid was not only a great scientist, but also an Angell of world-wide peoples for peace. He both brought scientific wealth to the world by himself and enthusiasm to the youth devoting to science. He gave a lecture "The world becomes smaller and smaller" for the undergraduates of Jilin University (JLU), China, as he visited to AGM Institute for the fourth time. He encouraged his students going back to the homeland after they finish their research programs to join the contributions to own contries. His speech has been/is/will be/inspiring several generations. His voice and expression remain at the campus of JLU forever. He visited JLU-AGM Institute totally 10 times.

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