William Joseph Wiswesser - Revision history

Smith2 at 02:42, 5 June 2025

2025-06-05T02:42:11Z

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	== Life ==		== Life ==
	'''William Joseph Wiswesser''' was born on December 3, 1914 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a BS degree in chemistry in 1936. He worked as a Research chemist, at the Hercules Powder Co. 1936-39; then as Assistant research director, at the Trojan Powder Co. 1939-42. Wiswesser was an instructor of chemistry in the Cooper Union's School of Engineering, 1942-45~~; Head of department of chemical research, Ray-O-Vac 1945-63; and Research chemist, US Army, Fort Detrich from 1963~~.		'''William Joseph Wiswesser''' was born on December 3, 1914 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a BS degree in chemistry in 1936. He worked as a Research chemist, at the Hercules Powder Co. 1936-39; then as Assistant research director, at the Trojan Powder Co. 1939-42. Wiswesser was an instructor of chemistry in the Cooper Union's School of Engineering, 1942-45.

	Wiswesser worked for Willson Products, where he was Director of Industrial Hygiene, followed by civilian employment by the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick and finally at the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA. He died on Decemeber 17, 1989 ~~in Reading, Pennsylvania~~.		Wiswesser next worked for Willson Products, Inc., in Reading, PA, 1945-63, where he was Director of Industrial Hygiene, followed by civilian employment by the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick and finally at the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA. He died on Decemeber 17, 1989.

	== Contributions ==		== Contributions ==
	In 1945, he published his paper describing a formula that correctly orders the subshells of atomic orbitals in the manner of the Aufbau principle, also known as the Wiswesser rule.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aufbau_principle]		In 1945, he published his paper describing a formula that correctly orders the subshells of atomic orbitals in the manner of the Aufbau principle, also known as the Wiswesser rule.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aufbau_principle]

	In 1949, Wiswesser first presented what is now known as the Wiswesser line notation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiswesser_line_notation], which was particularly well suited to molecular structure representation within the computing platforms and modalities available. This work, which was further developed and expanded on by him for many years, had a lasting impact on the field of chemical informatics. It was adopted by the [[Institute for Scientific Information]] and many pharmaceutical companies		In 1949, Wiswesser first presented what is now known as the Wiswesser line notation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiswesser_line_notation], which was the first line notation capable of precisely describing complex molecules and particularly well suited to molecular structure representation within the computing platforms and modalities available. This work, which was further developed and expanded on by him for many years, had a lasting impact on the field of chemical informatics. It was adopted by the [[Institute for Scientific Information]] for indexing the Chemical Structure Index and by many pharmaceutical companies.

			== Publications ==
			*"Conversion of Wiswesser notation to a connectivity matrix for organic compounds." With others. ''Journal of Chemical Documentation'' 7, no. 4 (1967): 200-204.
			*"107 years of line-formula notations (1861-1968)." ''Journal of Chemical Documentation'' 8, no 3 (1968): 146-150.
			*''Pesticide index''. With others. 5th ed. College Park, MD: Entomological Society of America, ©1976.
			*"How the WLN began in 1949 and how it might be in 1999." ''Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences'' 22, no 2 (1982): 88-93.
			* "Historic development of chemical notations." ''Journal of chemical information and computer sciences'' 25, no 3 (1985): 258-263.

	== Offices ==		== Offices ==
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	== Awards ==		== Awards ==
	*American Chemical Society. Skolnik Award, 1980.		*American Chemical Society. Skolnik Award, 1980.
			*US Army. Award of Merit.
			*Lehigh University. Honorary degree.

	== Further reading ==		== Further reading ==
	*"William Wiswesser" ''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wiswesser]		*"William Wiswesser" ''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wiswesser]
	*Gelberg, Alan, "William Joseph Wiswesser 1914 – 1989," ''Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences'' 30, no 1 (1990): 1. Obituary [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ci00065a001]		*Gelberg, Alan, "William Joseph Wiswesser 1914 – 1989," ''Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences'' 30, no 1 (1990): 1. Obituary [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ci00065a001]
			*Smith, Elbert G. "Machine Searching for Chemical Structures: The Wiswesser notation provides an effective key to literature searches for functional groups." ''Science'' 131, no. 3394 (1960): 142-146.

	== Papers ==		== Papers ==
	Lehigh University Libraries, Mart Science and Engineering Library, Bethlehem, PA. * Finding aid:		Lehigh University Libraries, Mart Science and Engineering Library, Bethlehem, PA. 3 collections: MS 0119: William J. Wiswesser and the Wiswesser Line-Notation Collection II; SC LVF W816; and SC MS 0374 Correspondence on Wiswesser Line Notation [https://archivesspace.lib.lehigh.edu/repositories/3/resources/456#]
	* Source: ~~Subject Collections, 7th ed~~. ~~Volume 2 M~~-Z

Smith2: Re-formatted and initial revision.

2025-06-05T01:26:21Z

Re-formatted and initial revision.

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	~~== Life ==~~		'''William Joseph Wiswesser''' (1914-1989) was an American chemist.
	1914-1989
	* U.~~S. Army~~
	* Ray-o-Vac

	~~== Contributions ==~~
	Wiswesser was editor of Chemical World Index Key News. He was interested in visual-aid education, chemical coding, Wiswesser line-formula notation, dimensional analysis, atomic theory, and toxicology correlations. He etablished the Chemical Notation Association (1954or55). He worked at: Research chemist, Hercules Powder Co. 1936-39; Assistant research director, Trojan Powder Co. 1939-42; Chemical engineer, Cooper Union 1942-45; Head of department of chemical research, Ray-O-Vac 1945-63; Research chemist, US Army, Fort Detrich 1963-?.

	He ~~designed~~ a ~~linear notation system which~~ the ~~ISI adopted to use~~ in ~~some~~ of ~~their products (1968) and still use today~~, ~~and it was also adopted for internal use by many pharmaceutical companies the best tool to get at~~ chemical ~~structure~~ and ~~to represent it and print it in its day (mid 60s to 80s)~~.		== Life ==
			'''William Joseph Wiswesser''' was born on December 3, 1914 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a BS degree in chemistry in 1936. He worked as a Research chemist, at the Hercules Powder Co. 1936-39; then as Assistant research director, at the Trojan Powder Co. 1939-42. Wiswesser was an instructor of chemistry in the Cooper Union's School of Engineering, 1942-45; Head of department of chemical research, Ray-O-Vac 1945-63; and Research chemist, US Army, Fort Detrich from 1963.

	~~A brief note about~~ Wiswesser ~~Line Notation System appears in Wikipedia~~ at~~: <nowiki>http://en~~.~~wikipedia~~.~~org/wiki/Wiswesser_line_notation</nowiki>~~		Wiswesser worked for Willson Products, where he was Director of Industrial Hygiene, followed by civilian employment by the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick and finally at the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA. He died on Decemeber 17, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania.

	== ~~Awards~~ ==		== Contributions ==
			In 1945, he published his paper describing a formula that correctly orders the subshells of atomic orbitals in the manner of the Aufbau principle, also known as the Wiswesser rule.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aufbau_principle]

	* Skolnik Award (ACS) 1980 for pioneering mathematical, ~~physical~~, and ~~chemical methods of punched-card~~ and ~~computer-stored representation of molecular structures~~, ~~leading to~~ the ~~creation of the Wiswesser Line Notation (WLN) for concise storage and retrieval~~ of chemical ~~structures; WLN~~ was adopted by the ~~largest chemical~~ and pharmaceutical companies ~~worldwide to manage their chemical structure files, and by many secondary indexes, atlases of data, and catalogs of chemical compounds.~~		In 1949, Wiswesser first presented what is now known as the Wiswesser line notation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiswesser_line_notation], which was particularly well suited to molecular structure representation within the computing platforms and modalities available. This work, which was further developed and expanded on by him for many years, had a lasting impact on the field of chemical informatics. It was adopted by the [[Institute for Scientific Information]] and many pharmaceutical companies

	== Offices ==		== Offices ==
			Wiswesser was editor of ''Chemical World Index Key News'' and etablished the Chemical Notation Association.

			== Awards ==
			*American Chemical Society. Skolnik Award, 1980.
	== Further reading ==		== Further reading ==
	*"William Wiswesser" ''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wiswesser]		*"William Wiswesser" ''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wiswesser]
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	== Papers ==		== Papers ==
	~~'''LOCATION #1'''~~ Lehigh University Libraries, Mart Science and Engineering Library, Bethlehem, PA ~~18015~~		Lehigh University Libraries, Mart Science and Engineering Library, Bethlehem, PA. * Finding aid:

	* Papers dates:
	* Size:
	* Includes:
	** The Wiswesser Line Notation (Chemistry)
	** Manuscripts
	** Papers of Dr. ~~Wiswesser on his system for encoding chemical compounds~~
	* Finding aid:
	* Source: Subject Collections, 7th ed. Volume 2 M-Z		* Source: Subject Collections, 7th ed. Volume 2 M-Z

Smith2 at 02:44, 4 June 2025

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← Older revision		Revision as of 22:44, 3 June 2025
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	== Life ==		== Life ==
	1914-1989		1914-1989

	~~A detailed memoir and obituary appears at: <nowiki>http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ci00065a001</nowiki>~~

	~~== Relevant Employment ==~~

	* U.S. Army		* U.S. Army
	* Ray-o-Vac		* Ray-o-Vac
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	== Offices ==		== Offices ==

			== Further reading ==
			*"William Wiswesser" ''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wiswesser]
			*Gelberg, Alan, "William Joseph Wiswesser 1914 – 1989," ''Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences'' 30, no 1 (1990): 1. Obituary [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ci00065a001]

	== Papers ==		== Papers ==

Egha9: added bio

2023-08-14T07:30:33Z

added bio

New page

== Life ==
1914-1989

A detailed memoir and obituary appears at: <nowiki>http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ci00065a001</nowiki>

== Relevant Employment ==

* U.S. Army
* Ray-o-Vac

== Contributions ==
Wiswesser was editor of Chemical World Index Key News. He was interested in visual-aid education, chemical coding, Wiswesser line-formula notation, dimensional analysis, atomic theory, and toxicology correlations. He etablished the Chemical Notation Association (1954or55). He worked at: Research chemist, Hercules Powder Co. 1936-39; Assistant research director, Trojan Powder Co. 1939-42; Chemical engineer, Cooper Union 1942-45; Head of department of chemical research, Ray-O-Vac 1945-63; Research chemist, US Army, Fort Detrich 1963-?.

He designed a linear notation system which the ISI adopted to use in some of their products (1968) and still use today, and it was also adopted for internal use by many pharmaceutical companies the best tool to get at chemical structure and to represent it and print it in its day (mid 60s to 80s).

A brief note about Wiswesser Line Notation System appears in Wikipedia at: <nowiki>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiswesser_line_notation</nowiki>

== Awards ==

* Skolnik Award (ACS) 1980 for pioneering mathematical, physical, and chemical methods of punched-card and computer-stored representation of molecular structures, leading to the creation of the Wiswesser Line Notation (WLN) for concise storage and retrieval of chemical structures; WLN was adopted by the largest chemical and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to manage their chemical structure files, and by many secondary indexes, atlases of data, and catalogs of chemical compounds.

== Offices ==

== Papers ==
'''LOCATION #1''' Lehigh University Libraries, Mart Science and Engineering Library, Bethlehem, PA 18015

* Papers dates:
* Size:
* Includes:
** The Wiswesser Line Notation (Chemistry)
** Manuscripts
** Papers of Dr. Wiswesser on his system for encoding chemical compounds
* Finding aid:
* Source: Subject Collections, 7th ed. Volume 2 M-Z