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Papers of John B. Fenn
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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
John B. Fenn (1917-2010) was an American analytical chemist and Nobel laureate. He was best known for his work in the development of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, for which he was awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002.
John Bennett Fenn was born in New York City on June 15, 1917. During the Great Depression, Fenn moved with his family to Kentucky, where he attended Berea College. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1940 and went to work in the research department of the Phosphate Division of Monsanto Chemical Company in Anniston, Alabama. Two years later, he accepted a position with the Research Department of Sharples Chemicals in Wyandotte, Michigan.
In 1945, Fenn went to work for James W. Mullen, a former Monsanto colleague, at Experiment, Incorporated, a start-up research and development company that concentrated on jet engine technology. Fenn's work with Experiment, Incorporated led to his first academic appointment at Princeton University in 1952. At Princeton, Fenn worked on Project SQUID, a United States Navy funded program in the field of jet propulsion. In this capacity, he mainly studied molecular beams. Fenn was named director of Project SQUID in 1959. In addition to his work at Project SQUID, he also served as a professor of mechanical engineering (1959-1963) and aerospace sciences (1963-1966).
In 1967, Fenn was appointed to the faculty of Yale University, where he served as a professor of chemical engineering with a joint appointment in chemistry. At Yale, he taught and conducted research at Mason Laboratory. In addition to his teaching and research work, Fenn was heavily involved in the reorganization of the School of Engineering, a subject dear to his heart as he always regarded himself as a "nut and bolts" man rather than a pure theoretician. Although he never held a top administrative position at Yale, his opinion was valued by his colleagues and he served on committees dealing with such issues as faculty pay and evolving Yale copyright policy.
It was late in his tenure at Yale that Fenn conducted the research leading to his development of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. At the time of his research, mass spectrometry could not effectively be used to analyze the chemical make-up of large molecules, such as proteins, which previously could not be ionized. In 1988, Fenn demonstrated that when a test sample is sprayed with an electrical field, small charged droplets are formed. When the water evaporates, ions in gaseous form remain, which allows large molecules to be accurately analyzed via mass spectrometry. Due to this technological breakthrough, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry is now a commonly used technique for analyzing large molecules and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
When Fenn reached Yale's mandatory retirement age of seventy in 1987, he found himself limited in regard to both lab space and resources. In response to this, he relocated to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia in 1994. At VCU, Fenn held joint professorships in the Department of Chemistry (analytic chemistry) and the newly formed Department of Engineering (chemical and life science engineering). It was while serving at VCU that he was named a co-recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, which he shared with Koichi Tanaka and Kurt Wuthrich. He remained at VCU until his death.
Although Fenn's final years were crowned by his shared Nobel Prize in Chemistry, they were also darkened by the death of his first wife Margaret Wilson (Maggie) Fenn while he was on a working holiday in New Zealand. He also became embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with Yale University and a former graduate student over patents relating to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry technology.
Over the course of his career, John B. Fenn was the recipient of a number of awards for his contributions to science, which include the following:
- American Society for Mass Spectrometry – Award for Distinguished Contributions in Mass Spectrometry - 1992
- International Society of Mass Spectrometry - Thomson Medal - 2000
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Shared with Koichi Tanaka and Kurt Wuthrich) - 2002
- Yale Graduate School Alumni Association – Wilbur Cross Medal - 2003
He was an active member of several professional organizations, which include the following:
- American Chemical Society
- American Society for Mass Spectrometry
- Sigma Chi
- National Academy of Sciences
Fenn presented speeches and papers at a number of scientific conferences and symposia. He was also the author of a number of scientific journal articles. He was awarded several patents over the course of his career.
John B. Fenn passed away on December 10, 2010. He was survived by his second wife Frederica Fenn, two daughters, and a son.
Sources
Noble Prize Website - https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2002/fenn/facts/ Papers of John B. Fenn, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Papers of John B. Fenn contain the personal and professional papers of American analytical chemist and Nobel laureate John B. Fenn. The materials in this collection mainly document Fenn's career at Yale University. To a much lesser extent, his tenures at Princeton University and Virginia Commonwealth University are also covered in this collection. The collection is arranged into the following nine series:
- Biographical
- Correspondence
- Reprints & Drafts of Papers
- Research (Topical)
- Grants & Proposals
- Conferences & Symposia
- Academic Career
- Patents, Awards, Consultancies
- Legal
The Papers of John B. Fenn were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by John B. Fenn in 2012.
The Papers of John B. Fenn were processed by Andrew Mangravite in 2014.
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- Science History Institute Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
- Finding Aid Date
- 2014
- Access Restrictions
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There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.
- Use Restrictions
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The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Papers of John B. Fenn. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Collection Inventory
Arranged in its original order, this series contains John B. Fenn's biographical files. The files in this series provide biographical information regarding Fenn's life and professional career. The contents of this series consist of a wide variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, birthday cards, financial documents, Fenn's Ph.D. dissertation, notes, and drawings.
See also Box 4 Folder 38.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains John B. Fenn's correspondence files. Most of the correspondence in this series is with other scientists. A small amount of correspondence of a more general nature is also present here.
Correspondence makes up the bulk of the files' contents. A noticeable amount of accompanying materials, including, but not limited to, article preprints, article reprints, curricula vitae, lists, and reports are preserved in these files as well.
See also Box 6 Folder 19.
This series contains files pertaining to journal articles and conference and symposia papers authored and co-authored by John B. Fenn. The contents of the Reprints & Drafts of Papers series are arranged into the following three sub-series:
- Reprints
- JBF Manuscripts in Preparation
- Research Files for Papers
Arranged chronologically by date of publication, this sub-series contains reprints of journal articles and papers authored and co-authored by John B. Fenn between 1948 and 2007. They provide published documentation of his research activities that was disseminated to the scientific community.
See also Box 7 Folder 1.
Arranged alphabetically by title, this sub-series consists of nine manuscripts of journal articles and papers authored and co-authored by John B. Fenn. Five of the items in this sub-series are known to have been published.
Arranged alphabetically by author, this sub-series consists of research files for papers authored and co-authored by John B. Fenn. Some of the papers represented in these files are known to have been published. The contents of these files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, notes, spectra, reprints, preprints, and drafts.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains John B. Fenn's topical research files. These files pertain to various topics, most of them scientific in nature, that were of interest to Fenn. The contents of these files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, reprints, notes, overhead transparencies, data, spectra, and reports.
This series contains John B. Fenn's grants and proposals files. The contents of this series are arranged into the following three sub-series:
- AFOSR & ARO
- DoD & DOE
- NIH, NSF, & Miscellaneous Grants & Proposals
Arranged alphabetically by agency, this sub-series consists of files regarding United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and United States Army Research Office (ARO) grants and proposals. These files pertain to research grants Fenn applied for and received from these two federal government agencies. They also concern research proposals Fenn submitted to these two agencies. The contents of these files consist mainly of proposals, reports, and correspondence.
Arranged alphabetically by agency, this sub-series consists of files regarding United States Department of Defense (DoD) and United States Department of Energy (DOE) grants and proposals. These files pertain to research grants John B. Fenn applied for and received from these two federal government agencies. They also concern research proposals submitted by Fenn to these two agencies. The contents of these files consist mainly of proposals, reports, and correspondence.
Arranged alphabetically by agency, this sub-series mainly consists of files regarding United States National Institute of Health and United States National Science Foundation grants and proposals. It also includes a handful of files pertaining to grants and proposals associated with other federal government agencies, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency. A few files regarding grants and proposals associated with private non-profit agencies and for-profit firms, including the American Cancer Society and Sentor Technologies, Incorporated are also present here.
These files concern research proposals John B. Fenn submitted to the various federal agencies and private entities represented in these files. They also regard research grants Fenn applied for and received from the various entities represented here. The contents of these files consist mainly of proposals, reports, and correspondence.
Arranged alphabetically by conference/symposium, this series consists of John B. Fenn's conference and symposia files. These files document the various professional conferences and symposia Fenn participated in over the course of his career. Fenn presented and co-presented papers at number of the conferences and symposia represented in this series. The contents of these files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, abstracts, correspondence, programs, attendee lists, papers, and overhead transparencies.
This series contains John B. Fenn's academic career files. The contents of this series are arranged into the following two sub-series:
- Yale University
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) & Princeton University
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series consists of files pertaining to John B. Fenn's academic career at Yale University. These files primarily document his non-research activities at Yale, which include, but are not limited to, the reorganization of the Department of Chemical Engineering, committee activities, and manuscript refereeing. The contents of these files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, reports, miscellaneous administrative information, policies, and legal documents.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series consists of files pertaining to John B. Fenn's academic careers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Princeton University. Fourteen of files concern Fenn's tenure at VCU. Three of the files concern his stint at Princeton. These files primarily document Fenn's research activities at VCU and Princeton. A small amount of material pertaining to teaching and administrative matters are also present here. The contents of these files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, lab notebooks, statements, and photocopied photographs.
This series contains John B. Fenn's patents, awards, and consultancies files. The contents of this series are arranged into the following three sub-series:
- Patents
- Awards
- Consultancies
Arranged in its original order, this sub-series consists of John B. Fenn's patent files. These files document the efforts of Fenn to patent inventions conceived by himself and his co-inventors. Several patents awarded to Fenn for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry technology are represented in this sub-series.
Arranged in its original order, this sub-series consists of John B. Fenn's awards files. These files provide documentation of several awards received by Fenn during the 1990s and 2000s. Six files pertaining to Fenn's 2002 Nobel Prize for Chemistry are present in this sub-series. Individual files regarding other awards received by Fenn, including the Award for Distinguished Contributions in Mass Spectrometry and the Wilbur Cross Medal are also preserved here. The contents of the Awards files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, nominations, and speech manuscripts.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series consists of John B. Fenn's consultancies files. These files document consultant work performed by Fenn for several private firms and United States government agencies between the 1960s and 2000s. The contents of the Consultancies files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, legal documents, and reports.
This series contains John B. Fenn's legal files. These files document Fenn's various legal affairs. Most of the files in this series concern Fenn's patent litigation with Yale University. A smaller, but noticeable, number of files concerning miscellaneous legal matters not involving Yale are also present here.
The files in Box 17 are arranged alphabetically by subject. The files in Boxes 18-20 are arranged in their original order. The contents of the Legal files consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, legal documents, patent documents, and reports.