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by John Gagnon, promotional writer
Melvin Calvin, a Michigan Tech alumnus who was
awarded a Nobel Prize, now has his name and face on a
postage stamp--a stamp of approval for a distinguished
man.
Calvin was the first scientist to unravel the secrets
of photosynthesis—knowledge that became known as "the
Calvin cycle." That work won him and a colleague the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1961.
Calvin was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1911. He
received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the
Michigan College of Mining and Technology in 1931 and a
PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota in
1935. He began his academic career in 1937 at the
University of California at Berkeley, where he stayed
for the remainder of his career. He died in 1997.
Calvin's research ranged far: chemical evolution and
organic geochemistry, photochemistry, artificial
photosynthesis, radiation chemistry, brain chemistry,
the molecular basis of learning, and the philosophy of
science. In his last years, he studied the use of
oil-producing plants as renewable sources of energy.
He wrote two books and coauthored another four. He
was a member of six learned societies around the world
and held honorary doctoral degrees from Michigan Tech,
Northwestern University, the University of Nottingham,
and Oxford University.
Now he is memorialized on a 44-cent postage stamp.
Over the years, stamps—the first one cost a
penny—have featured people, events, and milestones. The
people have included presidents, famous Americans, and
now, for the third time, scientists. This issuance date
is today and also features a botanist, a physicist, and
a biochemist.
This new issue, a "commemorative forever stamp," has
two photos of Calvin, one from 1948 in bold, one from
1970 as a backdrop; equations from his research; and a
signature from a 1961 letter.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded since
1901. A total of 159 people have been named laureates.
Calvin joined the ranks of Marie Curie and Linus
Pauling.
He was the recipient of many other honors, including
the National Medal of Science from President Bush, as
well as prestigious awards from the American Chemical
Society; the Royal Society of London; and the American
Institute of Chemists.
Calvin, son of Russian émigrés, liked working with
emigrants and was a devout believer in interdisciplinary
collaboration. He worked with scientists on both sides
of chemistry: physics and biology. The lab he worked in
at Berkeley now bears his name.
As does the highest honor that Michigan Tech bestows:
The Melvin Calvin Medal of Distinction. He received the
first one, in 1985, in connection with the University's
centennial. Since then, six others have been awarded.
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