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== Life ==
== Life ==
'''Herman Skolnik''' was an employee of Hercules, Inc. His specialty was technical information and he held the title of Manager, Technical Services Division from 1952 to 1980. He also edited the Journal of Chemical Documentation (after 1975 Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Science) from 1960 to 1982. Skolnik was Chairman of the ACS Division of Chemical Information in 1961 and was Chairman of the Delaware Section of ACS in 1962. He was the recipient of ACS Patterson Award in 1969. After his retirement from Hercules he became active in the ACS ChemVets program promoting the recruitment of retired chemist as teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels.
'''Herman Skolnik''' was born in 1914 and grew up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He earned a BS in chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University in 1937 and MS (1941) and PhD degrees (1943) in physical organic chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.
* Hercules,Inc.
 
* Chemical Abstracts Service
In 1942 he joined Hercules, Inc., in Wilmington, Delaware, as a Research chemist, 1942-45; Supervisor literary research, 1946-51; Manager, Technical Services Division from 1952 until he retired in 1979. After his retirement he became active in the [[American Chemical Society]] ChemVets program promoting the recruitment of retired chemist as teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels. He died December 29, 1994.


== Contributions ==
== Contributions ==
* Indexing innovator
*Skolnik was a co-founder of the Division of Chemical Information of the [[American Chemical Society]].
* Organizer of symposia nationally
*He edited the ''Journal of Chemical Documentation'' (after 1975 ''Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Science'') from 1960 to 1982.
Skolnik was editor: Journal of Chemical Documentation and Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Science, 1960-82? (title change 1975). He worked at: Hercules Inc.: Research chemist 1942-45; Supervisor literary research 1946-51; Manager Technical Information division 1952-80; Consultant 1980-?. He introduced notation systems: with Clow in 1964; his own 1969.  
*Skolnik developed a formulated index in 1958 which cited elements in alphabetical order by their symbols with carbon and hydrogen last. He introduced notation systems with Clow in 1964 and his own 1969.


He developed a formulated index in 1958 which cited elements in alphabetical order by their symbols with carbon and hydrogen last. He was interested in chemical documentation, history of science, terpenes, heterocyclics, and azeotropy. He won the Patterson-Crane award for contributions to the field of chemical literature, especially the documentation of chemistry.  
== Publications ==
Skolnik reportedly published some 200 technical papers. Many are listed in ''Google Scholar. [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Herman+Skolnik%22]


A detailed memorial essay on him appears at: [http://www.acscinf.org/content/memoriam-herman-skolnik-1914-1994]
*''Multi-sulfur and sulfur and oxygen five- and six-membered heterocycles''. With D. S. Breslow. New York: Interscience Publishers, 1966. 2 v. Also 2009.
one of the founders of the Division, founder of the ACS Delaware Valley Chemical Literature Group, science historian, founder and Editor of the Journal of Chemical Documentation (Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences since 1975), inventor of a notation system, innovator in indexing, and organizer of symposia and panel discussions at the ACS local, regional, and national level.
*"The multiterm index: a new concept in information storage and retrieval." ''Journal of Chemical Documentation'' 10, no. 2 (1970): 81-84.
 
*"Literature Chemists-From the Past to the Present." ''Journal of Chemical Documentation'' 14, no. 4 (1974): 157-158.
== Publications ==
*''A Century of chemistry: the role of chemists and the American Chemical Society''. Herman Skolnik, chairman, board of editors ; Kenneth M. Reese, editor. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 1976.
*''A Century of chemistry: the role of chemists and the American Chemical Society''. Herman Skolnik, chairman, board of editors ; Kenneth M. Reese, editor. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 1976.
*"Milestones in chemical information science." Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences 16, no. 4 (1976): 187-193.
*"Historical development of abstracting." ''Journal of Chemical information and computer sciences'' 19, no. 4 (1979): 215-218.
*"Historical highlights in the chemical engineering literature." In: ''A Century of chemical engineering'', ed. by William F. Furter. New York: Plenum Press, 1982.
*''The literature matrix of chemistry''. New York: Wiley, 1982.
*''The literature matrix of chemistry''. New York: Wiley, 1982.
== Awards ==
* 1969 Patterson Award (ACS)
* 1976 Skolnik Award (ACS-named this for him) for being founder and editor of the Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences, inventor of a notation system [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Skolnik_Award]
*The Herman Skolnik Award is awarded annually by the Division of Chemical Information of the American Chemical Society, "to recognize outstanding contributions to and achievements in the theory and practice of chemical information science".


== Offices ==
== Offices ==
*[[American Chemical Society]]. Division of Chemical Information, Chairman 1961; Delaware Section, Chairman, 1962.


*[[American Chemical Society]]. Division of Chemical Information, Chairman 1961; Delaware Section, Chairman, 1962.
== Awards ==
*[[American Chemical Society]].  The Patterson-Crane award for contributions to the field of chemical literature, especially the documentation of chemistry.
*[[American Chemical Society]]. Division of Chemical Information awards the Herman Skolnik Award annually "to recognize outstanding contributions to and achievements in the theory and practice of chemical information science". It was first awarded to him  for being founder and editor of the Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences, inventor of a notation system. [https://www.acscinf.org/awards/the-skolnik-award] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Skolnik_Award]


== Further reading ==
*"In memoriam Herman Skolnik". ''Chemical Information Bulletin'' 47, no 2 (Spring 1995): 4-6. [https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5642/m1/6/]
== Papers ==
== Papers ==
*Science History Institute Archives. Philadelphia. Collection 2003-621: Papers of Herman Skolnik, 1947-1994. [https://archives.sciencehistory.org/repositories/3/resources/572]
*Science History Institute Archives. Philadelphia. Collection 2003-621: Papers of Herman Skolnik, 1947-1994. [https://archives.sciencehistory.org/repositories/3/resources/572]

Latest revision as of 10:09, 8 April 2025

Herman Skolnik (1914-1994) was a US specialist in chemical documentation.

Life

Herman Skolnik was born in 1914 and grew up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He earned a BS in chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University in 1937 and MS (1941) and PhD degrees (1943) in physical organic chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1942 he joined Hercules, Inc., in Wilmington, Delaware, as a Research chemist, 1942-45; Supervisor literary research, 1946-51; Manager, Technical Services Division from 1952 until he retired in 1979. After his retirement he became active in the American Chemical Society ChemVets program promoting the recruitment of retired chemist as teachers at the elementary and secondary school levels. He died December 29, 1994.

Contributions

  • Skolnik was a co-founder of the Division of Chemical Information of the American Chemical Society.
  • He edited the Journal of Chemical Documentation (after 1975 Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Science) from 1960 to 1982.
  • Skolnik developed a formulated index in 1958 which cited elements in alphabetical order by their symbols with carbon and hydrogen last. He introduced notation systems with Clow in 1964 and his own 1969.

Publications

Skolnik reportedly published some 200 technical papers. Many are listed in Google Scholar. [1]

  • Multi-sulfur and sulfur and oxygen five- and six-membered heterocycles. With D. S. Breslow. New York: Interscience Publishers, 1966. 2 v. Also 2009.
  • "The multiterm index: a new concept in information storage and retrieval." Journal of Chemical Documentation 10, no. 2 (1970): 81-84.
  • "Literature Chemists-From the Past to the Present." Journal of Chemical Documentation 14, no. 4 (1974): 157-158.
  • A Century of chemistry: the role of chemists and the American Chemical Society. Herman Skolnik, chairman, board of editors ; Kenneth M. Reese, editor. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 1976.
  • "Milestones in chemical information science." Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences 16, no. 4 (1976): 187-193.
  • "Historical development of abstracting." Journal of Chemical information and computer sciences 19, no. 4 (1979): 215-218.
  • "Historical highlights in the chemical engineering literature." In: A Century of chemical engineering, ed. by William F. Furter. New York: Plenum Press, 1982.
  • The literature matrix of chemistry. New York: Wiley, 1982.

Offices

Awards

  • American Chemical Society. The Patterson-Crane award for contributions to the field of chemical literature, especially the documentation of chemistry.
  • American Chemical Society. Division of Chemical Information awards the Herman Skolnik Award annually "to recognize outstanding contributions to and achievements in the theory and practice of chemical information science". It was first awarded to him for being founder and editor of the Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences, inventor of a notation system. [2] [3]

Further reading

  • "In memoriam Herman Skolnik". Chemical Information Bulletin 47, no 2 (Spring 1995): 4-6. [4]

Papers

  • Science History Institute Archives. Philadelphia. Collection 2003-621: Papers of Herman Skolnik, 1947-1994. [5]