Herman F. Mark

1895 - 1992

Herman F. Mark: The Architect of the Polymer Age

Commonly referred to as the "Father of Polymer Science," Herman Francis Mark (1895–1992) was a titan of 20th-century chemistry. At a time when the scientific community was deeply skeptical of the existence of "giant molecules," Mark provided the physical evidence and theoretical framework that validated the field of polymer science. His life was a remarkable odyssey that spanned the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the perils of Nazi-occupied Europe, and the industrial boom of post-war America.

1. Biography: A Life of Resilience and Discovery

Early Life and Education

Herman Mark was born on May 3, 1895, in Vienna, Austria. His father, Hermann Carl Mark, was a physician of Jewish descent who had converted to Lutheranism. This dual heritage would later play a pivotal role in Mark’s flight from Europe. Mark showed an early aptitude for science, influenced by a neighbor who was a chemistry professor.

His education was interrupted by World War I. Mark served as an officer in the elite Austrian Alpine troops, becoming one of the most highly decorated junior officers in the Austrian army. After the war, he returned to the University of Vienna, completing his PhD in chemistry in 1921 in just one year under the supervision of Wilhelm Schlenk.

Academic and Industrial Trajectory

Berlin (1922–1932): Mark joined the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Fiber Research in Berlin-Dahlem. Here, he worked alongside Michael Polanyi, using X-ray diffraction to study the molecular structure of fibers.
IG Farben (1927–1932): He transitioned to industry, becoming the director of the high-polymer laboratory at IG Farben in Ludwigshafen. This role allowed him to bridge the gap between theoretical physics and industrial application.
Vienna and the Nazi Rise (1932–1938): Due to the rising tide of Nazism in Germany, Mark returned to the University of Vienna as a professor. However, following the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany) in 1938, Mark was stripped of his position and briefly imprisoned by the Gestapo because of his Jewish ancestry.
The Escape and America (1938–1992): Mark orchestrated a daring escape (see Lesser-Known Facts), eventually moving to Canada to work for the Canadian International Paper Company. In 1940, he joined the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now NYU Tandon), where he spent the remainder of his career.

2. Major Contributions: Proving the "Giant Molecule"

In the early 1920s, the prevailing "Association Theory" held that substances like rubber and cellulose were clusters of small molecules held together by mysterious forces. Herman Mark was instrumental in overturning this view.

X-Ray Crystallography of Polymers: Mark applied the then-new technique of X-ray diffraction to natural polymers like cellulose, silk, and rubber. He demonstrated that these materials possessed a crystalline-like regularity that could only be explained if they were composed of extremely long, covalently bonded chains (macromolecules). This provided the physical proof for Hermann Staudinger’s controversial macromolecular hypothesis.
The Mark-Houwink Equation: Mark developed a fundamental mathematical relationship ([η] = KM^a) that relates the intrinsic viscosity of a polymer solution to its molecular weight. This remains a standard tool in polymer characterization today.
Polymer Physics and Elasticity: He contributed to the statistical mechanics of polymer chains, explaining the "entropy-driven" nature of rubber elasticity—the idea that rubber snaps back not because of internal energy, but because the chains want to return to a state of higher disorder (entropy).
The "Brooklyn School": At the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, he founded the Polymer Research Institute (PRI) in 1946, the first of its kind in the United States, which became the global epicenter for polymer education.

3. Notable Publications

Mark was a prolific writer, authoring over 600 papers and dozens of books. His most influential works include:

Physik und Chemie der Cellulose (1932): A foundational text that applied physical chemistry to the study of natural fibers.
High Polymeric Reactions: Their Theory and Practice (1940): This book helped codify the principles of polymer synthesis for a generation of chemists.
Journal of Polymer Science (Founded 1946): Mark founded this journal, which became the premier venue for research in the field.
Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology: As the founding editor, he created the definitive multi-volume reference work for the industry.

4. Awards and Recognition

While the Nobel Prize eluded him (often cited as one of the committee's notable omissions), Mark received nearly every other major honor in science:

National Medal of Science (1979): Awarded by President Jimmy Carter for his contributions to the polymer sciences.
Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1979): Shared with Elias J. Corey for his work on the structure and properties of natural and synthetic polymers.
Perkin Medal (1980): One of the highest honors in industrial chemistry.
Priestley Medal (1972): The highest honor bestowed by the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Honorary Degrees: He received over 20 honorary doctorates from universities worldwide.

5. Impact and Legacy

The modern world is, in many ways, built on Herman Mark’s research. Every plastic, synthetic fiber (like nylon or polyester), and high-performance composite material owes its development to the principles Mark established.

Beyond his research, his legacy is educational. He was a "scientific missionary" who traveled the world lecturing on polymers. His "Brooklyn School" trained the chemists who would go on to lead the R&D departments of companies like DuPont, Monsanto, and Dow. He transformed polymer science from an empirical "cookbook" craft into a rigorous, predictive academic discipline.

6. Collaborations and Mentorship

Mark was a master collaborator who moved seamlessly between physics, chemistry, and engineering.

Linus Pauling: In the late 1920s, a young Linus Pauling visited Mark in Germany. Mark taught Pauling the techniques of X-ray diffraction, which Pauling later used to solve the structure of proteins and the DNA alpha-helix.
Michael Polanyi: Their early work on the "unit cell" of cellulose was foundational to structural biology.
Max Perutz: The Nobel laureate who solved the structure of hemoglobin was a student of Mark’s in Vienna. Perutz credited Mark with sparking his interest in large molecular structures.
Isidor Fankuchen: A key colleague at Brooklyn Poly who helped establish the X-ray diffraction facilities that made the PRI world-famous.

7. Lesser-Known Facts: The Chemist’s Great Escape

One of the most thrilling chapters of Mark’s life is his escape from Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938.

The Iridium Coat Hangers: Realizing he could not take his savings out of the country in cash or gold, Mark used his chemical expertise to purchase $50,000 worth of iridium wire (a precious metal). He then fashioned the wire into crude coat hangers and painted them black. He and his family crossed the border into Switzerland with his "wealth" hanging in plain sight on their luggage rack, undetected by Nazi border guards.
The "Geheimrat" Nickname: In his later years, he was affectionately known as "Der Geheimrat" (The Privy Councilor), a nod to his old-world Viennese charm and his status as the elder statesman of chemistry.
Longevity: Mark remained active well into his 90s. He continued to lecture and consult, famously maintaining a travel schedule that would exhaust scientists half his age, often joking that his secret was "never stop moving."