Background
Gordon was born on October 7, 1886 in Spafford, New York, United States; the son of William James Gordon and Ella C. (Mason) Gordon.
Syracuse, New York, United States
Syracuse University
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Goucher College
College Park, Maryland, United States
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Johns Hopkins University
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Wayne University
Gordon was born on October 7, 1886 in Spafford, New York, United States; the son of William James Gordon and Ella C. (Mason) Gordon.
Gordon received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1911 and a Master of Arts degree in 1912 from Syracuse University. Also in 1917, he earned his Doctor of Philisophy degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Gordon began his career as an assistant professor of chemistry at Goucher College in 1917. Two years later he took a position of a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Maryland. Then in 1921, Neil became a director of chemical department at the same university, where he worked until 1928. The same years he was a state chemist at Maryland.
In 1928, Gordon was appointed a Francis P. Garvan professor of chemical education at Johns Hopkins University. Six years later he became a head of chemistry department at Central College. Since 1942, Neil served as a chairman of chemistry department at Wayne University.
Gordon was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, Missouri Academy of Science, Faraday Society, Royal Society of Arts and Sciences, Sigma Xi and Alpha Chi Sigma.
In 1921, he was a secretary of the section on chemical education at the American Chemical Society and in 1924, he became an editor of the Journal of Chemical Education.
On June 29, 1915 Neil Gordon married Hazel A. Mothersell. They have 2 children.