Dorothy Virginia Nightingale


Dorothy Virginia Nightingale was an American organic chemist who is known for research on chemiluminescence and the Friedel-Crafts reaction. Nightingale directed the research of 24 PhD students and 26 Masters students and authored 56 scientific publications.

Personal life

Nightingale was born and raised in Colorado, until, at age seventeen, the family moved to Columbia, Missouri. Nightingale's mother, Jennie Beem, was a teacher and secretary prior to marrying the rancher William David Nightingale. Nightingale returned to Boulder, Colorado after retirement in 1972.

Education

Nightingale's mother awakened her daughter's interest in chemistry upon demonstrating a number of chemistry experiments at Colorado State University. Nightingale pursued a chemistry degree at the University of Missouri and studied with chemist Herman Schlundt. Nightingale also obtained a master's degree there, but went to the University of Chicago for a PhD in chemistry, awarded in 1928.

Career

Nightingale joined the staff at the University of Missouri as an instructor in 1923 and returned there after earning a PhD. Nightingale published 56 papers while directing the research of 24 PhD students and 26 Masters students. Nightingale's research focused on chemiluminescence, the mechanism of the Friedel-Crafts reaction, the reactions of nitroparaffins with alicyclic ketones, and the reactions of azadispiroketones. This work had a significant impact on the development of production methods for various chemicals that involve dangerous reactions such as high-octane gasoline, synthetic rubbers and plastics, and detergents.
Nightingale spent a sabbatical leave during 1938 at the University of Minnesota, adapting their course content and advanced research equipment in an effort to improve Missouri's organic chemistry program.
During World War II, Nightingale and colleagues H.E. French and H. E. Ungnade served as investigators for the United States’ Committee on Medical Research in the Office of Scientific Research and Development in a search for new antimalarials. The group prepared a number of alpha- acenaphthenemethanols and analogous isoquinolines, but none were more effective than those already in use.
In 1959, Nightingale was awarded the Garvan Medal, given by the American Chemical Society, for distinguished service to chemistry.
In 1975, Nightingale published the book A History of the Department of Chemistry: University of Missouri-Columbia, 1843-1975.