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- In 1853, John William Mallett had graduated from the Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland with a degree in experimental physics, before setting off to the United States to help his father in his earthquake research. John moved to the United States after receiving his A.B. at Trinity College in Dublin, and taught as an assistant professor of analytical chemistry at Amherst College for part of 1854. He was appointed chemist to the Geological Survey of Alalbama in 1855.
In 1861, he enlisted as a private in the Confederate cavalry during the American Civil War and soon after, was made an officer, but his abilities as a chemist soon came to the attention of the Confederate government who appointed him Superintendant of the army's ammunitions factories at Macon, Georgia. As a result he performed a vital role in the war.
Although John had resided more than 50 years in the United States, he retained his British citizenship until the end of his life.
This John William Mallett became a professor of chemistry at the Universities of Alabama and Louisiana. He was also the first Chairman of the Faculty at the newly founded University of Texas and had the initials 'LL.D, Ph.D and F.R.S.' after his name. However, his longest service was at the University of Virginia where he taught for more than 40 years.
Following John's death in 1912, the Library in the then newly constructed Chemistry Building (now named Welch Hall) at the University of Virginia was named in his honour in 1931. 'The Alumni Bulletin', University of Virginia, 1894 (page 7) states: 'His paternal grandfather was John Mallet, born at North Tawton, Devonshire. He was taught as a child by his mother, and for one year by a governess ...'
He was also a charter member and vice president of the American Chemical Society.
For a detailed biography see the University of Texas Libraries website at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/chem/history/malletbio.html
[Copyright 2010 - Trevor Brice and Richard Mallett. Not to be reproduced without the authors' permission]
From The 20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Vol.7, p.231:
MALLET, John William, chemist, was born in Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 10, 1832; son of Robert Mallet, civil engineer, a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He was graduated at Trinity college, Dublin, A.B., 1853; studied chemistry at the University of Göttingen, and received there the degree of Ph.D. in 1852. He came to the United States in 1853. He was assistant professor of analytical chemistry at Amherst college, Mass., 1854; chemist to the geological survey of Alabama, 1855-56; professor of chemistry at the University of Alabama, 1856-60. In 1861 he entered the service of the Confederate States on the staff of Gen. R. E. Rodes in the Army of Northern Virginia; was superintendent of C.S. ordnance laboratories, 1862-65, and reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel of artillery. He was professor of chemistry in the medical department of the University of Louisiana, 1865-68; of analytical, industrial and agricultural chemistry in the University of Virginia, 1868-72; and of general and industrial chemistry there, 1872-83. He was a lecturer at Johns Hopkins university on the "Utilization of Waste Materials," in 1877, and on "The Early History of Chemical Industries" in 1878. He was professor of chemistry and physics and chairman of the faculty in the University of Texas, 1883-84; was professor of chemistry at Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, 1884-85, and in 1885 became again professor of general and industrial chemistry at the University of Virginia. He investigated the chemical methods used for determining organic matters in potable waters and made a study of the water supply of various cities in the United States, comparing both the methods and the waters, for the National Board of Health in 1880-82. The report on this investigation was published by the board in 1882. He was the author of sundry scientific papers published in the transactions of learned societies in America and Europe. He received the honorary degree of M.D. from the University of Louisiana in 1868 and that of LL.D. from the College of William and Mary and from the University of Mississippi in 1872, and from Princeton university at the sesquicentennial celebration of 1890. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1877, was president of the American Chemical society in 1882, a vice-president of the Chemical Society of London in 1888-90; fellow of the London Chemical society; a member of the Chemical Society of Paris and the German Chemical society, and one of the original members of the American Chemical society; associate fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston; corresponding member of the New York Academy of Sciences; member of the American Philosophical society, and fellow of the College of Physicians, Philadelphia; honorary member of the Medical and Chirurgical faculty of Maryland; member of Washington Academy of Sciences, Washington; fellow of the Medical Society of Virginia, and member of scientific societies in Mexico and Brazil. He three times served as a member of the assay commission of the United States. He was married in 1857 to Mary E., daughter of Judge John J. Ormond of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and secondly in 1888 to Mrs. Joséphine Burthe of New Orleans, La., daughter of Joseph Pagès of Toulouse, France.
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