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William Klemperer

by Linda Wang
January 22, 2018 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 96, Issue 4

Kelmperer
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Credit: Courtesy of Dudley Herschbach
A photo of William Klemperer.
Credit: Courtesy of Dudley Herschbach

William Klemperer, 90, died on Nov. 5, 2017, in Watertown, Mass.

“An innovative, versatile, and ebullient physical chemist, Bill was among the world’s leaders in the field of molecular spectroscopy. By using molecular beam techniques, he obtained unprecedented resolution and chemical scope. Especially important were studies of molecules linked by weak forces. He also developed a theoretical model that explained the profuse variety of complex organic molecules seen in vast, frigid interstellar clouds. As with his science, Bill delighted in his rose garden, in his many intense friendships with colleagues all over the world, and in his joyous family life. He left a legacy of a loving, zestful spirit.”—Dudley Herschbach, friend and colleague

Most recent title: Erving Professor of Chemistry, emeritus, Harvard University

Education: B.S., chemistry, Harvard University, 1950; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 1954; D.Sc., University of Chicago, 1996

Survivors: daughters, Joyce and Wendy; son, Paul; predeceased by wife, Elizabeth

To recognize your late loved one or colleague, submit obituary information at cenm.ag/obits.

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