Background
Norris, James Flack was born on January 20, 1871 in Baltimore. Son of Review Richard and Sarah Amanda (Baker) Norris.
Norris, James Flack was born on January 20, 1871 in Baltimore. Son of Review Richard and Sarah Amanda (Baker) Norris.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a Methodist minister, Norris was educated in Baltimore and Washington, District of Columbia before studying at Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated with an Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. After graduating in 1892, he remained at the university to work as a Fellow until 1895, when he was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy and became an academic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Assistant, 1895-1896, instructor, 1896-1900, assistant professor organic chemistry, 1900-1904, Massachusetts Institute Technology. Professor of chemistry, Simmons College, Boston, 1904-1915, Vanderbilt University, 1915-1916. Professor organic chemistry, in charge graduate students in chemistry, director research laboratory organic chemistry, Massachusetts Institute Technology, since 1916.
In charge offense chemical research, war gas investigations, United States Bureau Mines, 1917-1918.
Associate member Naval Consulting Board, 1916. Lieutenant colonel, United States of America, in charge United States Chemical Warfare Service, England, 1918.
In charge investigation manufacturer war gases in German chemical plants, 1919. Chairman division chemistry and chemical technical National Research Council, 1924-1925, member Executive Board, 1925-1933.
Lecturer on organic chemistry, Harvard, 1912-1914, Clark University, 1913-1914, Bowdoin, 1929.
Medalist American Institute of Chemists, 1937. Secretary Society of Arts of Boston, Massachusetts, 1902-1904. President American Chemical Society, 1925-1926 (president Northeastern section, 1905-1906).
President Chemical Teachers’ Association of North.E., 1906-1908, Technology Club, 1906-1909.
Vice president International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1925-1928.
Fellow American Academy Arts and Sciences (vice president, since 1934), American Association for the Advancement of Science (chairman Section C, 1930).
Married Anne Bent Chamberlin, February 4, 1902.