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Herman Francis Mark Photograph

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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

Herman Francis Mark was an Austrian-American chemist best known for his contributions to the research and academic study of polymer science. Born in Vienna, Austria on May 3, 1895, Mark's father was a Jewish man who converted to the Lutheran Church upon marriage to Mark's mother. Mark briefly attended the University of Vienna before the outbreak of World War I interrupted his studies. He served as an Officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army, where he was highly decorated. After the war, Mark returned to the University of Vienna, where he earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1921. In 1922, Mark moved to Berlin and began working for the Kaiser Wilhem Institute for Fiber Research. He began experimenting with x-ray diffraction and how it can be used to study the molecular structures of fibers such as silk and wool.

With the rise of Nazism in the early 1930s, Mark and his family returned to Austria, where he developed the first academic curriculum for the study of polymer science at the University of Vienna. After the annexation of Austria, he and his family fled to Switzerland, until he gained employment in Canada and then eventually the United States. Mark began working as a professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, eventually retiring as their director in 1964. While at the Polytechnic Institute, Mark developed their polymer program and established the first undergraduate polymer program in the U.S., as well as the first polymer research facility in 1946.

Mark was the recipient of numerous awards over the course of his career, including the National Medal of Science in 1976. Herman Francis Mark died on April 6, 1992, in Austin, Texas.

This collection consists of one mounted photograph of Herman Francis Mark, taken circa 1944. Towards the bottom of the photograph is a handwritten message from Mark. The text reads "To Dr. Ferry, with kindest regards and wishes. H. Mark".

The Herman Francis Mark Photograph was donated to the Science History Institute by John Ferry.

The Herman Francis Mark Photograph was processed by Olivia E. Hosie in May 2024.

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Olivia E. Hosie.
Finding Aid Date
2024
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Herman Francis Mark Photograph. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

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