Rate My Professor John Bailar

Known as the father of American coordination chemistry, his research focused on stereochemistry of complex compounds, inorganic isomerism—establishing its counterpart to the organic Walden inversion—and areas including polymers, dyestuffs, solid-state reactions, and homogeneous catalysis. He trained 90 Ph.D. students, 38 postdoctoral fellows, and numerous bachelor's and master's candidates, making UIUC a world-renowned leader in inorganic chemistry and driving the post-World War II renaissance of the discipline. Key publications include the 37-part series "The Stereochemistry of Complex Compounds" (1934-1985), a classic article on octahedral complexes co-authored with Elias J. Corey (1959), and foundational roles in Inorganic Syntheses (1939) and the journal Inorganic Chemistry (1962). Bailar co-founded the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry in 1957 as its first chairman, served as ACS President in 1959, and earned the Priestley Medal in 1964, the ACS's highest honor, plus the ACS Award in Chemical Education, ACS Award for Distinguished Service to Inorganic Chemistry, and Werner Gold Medal.