Charles James

Background

James was born on April 27, 1880, in Earls Barton, England, the son of William and Mary Diana (Shatford) James.

Education

James' scientific education was obtained at the Institute of Chemistry, London, where he graduated in 1904; Ramsay was his teacher of chemistry.

Career

After working about two years as a chemist at the New Cransley Iron and Steel Company, Kettering, England, James came to the United States, where he was granted citizenship in 1920. Joining the chemistry staff of New Hampshire College (later University of New Hampshire), Durham, New Hampshire, he remained with that institution twenty-two years, as instructor, assistant professor, and professor and head of the department. Here he made extensive investigations of the rare earths. The account of this original work, which won him international recognition, is embodied in about sixty papers published principally in the Journal of the American Chemical Society from 1907 to 1926.

James's work covered nearly the whole field of the rare-earth problems, and included specifically the discovery of new compounds of the elements samarium, neodymium, and europium, the extraction and separation of elements from many rare-earth minerals, and a study of the atomic weights of thulium, yttrium, and samarium. During his twenty years of work in this field he devised new, and improved old, methods of handling the rare earths and compounds of the rare-earth elements. He worked with large quantities and prepared large amounts and many kinds of salts of the rare-earth and the rare elements. By nature and temperament he was conspicuously generous, and constantly supplied workers in this field with material unobtainable elsewhere. He left an extensive and valuable collection of the rare-earth metals and their compounds to the University of New Hampshire. By his constant work on the rare earths, he acquired exceptional skill in preparing, testing, and purifying these baffling substances. Much of his work was unqualifiedly original and he often labored long and arduously to verify every point before publication. Consequently, his results were seldom, if ever, seriously questioned. This unswerving devotion to truth cost him fame at least twice. His laboratory records show that he anticipated the discovery of lutecium and illinium, but he delayed publication to be doubly sure. James died on December 10, 1928.

Achievements

• James is best remembered for his research of various rare chemical elements.

Membership

James was a member of the American Chemical Society (1907-1928), a member of the London Chemical Society, a member of the Alpha Chi Sigma, and a fellow of the London Institute of Chemistry (1907).

Personality

Personally, James was a modest, unassuming man, who preferred to toil early and late in his laboratory. He was an excellent teacher, much beloved by his students, who called him "King James. "

Interests

• Although an indefatigable worker in chemistry, James' tastes were catholic and he found time to become an expert in cultivating flowers, raising bees, and collecting stamps.

Connections

In 1915 James married Marion E. Templeton of Exeter, New Hampshire, who with one daughter survived him.

Father:

William James

Mother:

Mary Diana Shatford

Spouse:

Marion E. Templeton