Archibald Scott Couper

Archibald Scott Couper (March 31, 1831, Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland—March 11, 1892, Kirkintilloch) developed the theory of chemical structure, namely that tetravalent carbon atoms can link together to form large molecules, and that the bonding order of the atoms can be determined from chemical evidence. He published this theory in his paper "On a New Chemical Theory", Philosophical Magazine 16, 104-116 (1858) (excerpted in Alembic Club Reprint #21, On a New Chemical Theory and Researches on Salicylic Acid).