Herbert C. Brown

Herbert Charles Brown (May 22, 1912 – December 19, 2004) was a chemist and organoboranes

Brown was born Herbert Brovarnik in London to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. He moved to the United States in June 1914, at the age of two.^[1] In autumn 1935, he entered the University of Chicago, completed two years of studies in three quarters, and earned a B.S. in 1936.^[1] That same year, he became a naturalized US citizen.^[2] On February 6, 1937, Brown married Sarah Baylen, the person he credits with making him interested in hydrides of boron, a topic related to the work in which he with Inorganic Chemistry at Purdue University in 1947 and joined Alpha Chi Sigma there in 1949.^[3] He held the position of Professor Emeritus from 1978 until his death in 2004.^[1] The Herbert C. Brown Laboratory of Chemistry was named after him on Purdue University's campus.

During World War II, while working with Hermann Irving Schlesinger, Brown discovered a method for producing B were his working field.

Brown was quick to credit his wife Sarah with supporting him and allowing him to focus on creative efforts by handling finances, maintaining the house and yard, etc. According to Brown, after receiving the Nobel prize in Stockholm, he carried the medal and she carried the US$100,000 award.

He died December 19, 2004, at a hospital in Lafayette, Indiana after a heart attack. Surviving are his son and his granddaughters.

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