Professor White Passes Away

Professor John M. (Mike) White passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, August 31, 2007, while visiting his son in Oklahoma City.

White held the prestigious Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry and had been with The University since 1966, when he was hired as an assistant professor following the completion of his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois. His research interests spanned a wide range of topics related to surface and materials chemistry, and he was one of the pioneers in photochemistry. A major contribution to the scientific community was his exploitation of the techniques of surface physics for the investigation of a variety of surface chemical problems.

From 1991-2002, White served as Director of one of the earliest National Science Foundation-funded science and technology centers, heading up a team of twelve faculty, five postdoctoral fellows, and twenty-five graduate students from four UT departments. His Center for Synthesis, Growth and Analysis of Electronic Materials was frequently held up by NSF officials as a model of superb research, management, and reporting for other interdisciplinary collaborations.

Professor White graduated more than fifty doctoral students, published over 650 scholarly articles, and served a term as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry during his forty-one years at The University. Many of his former students and postdoctoral fellows now teach in universities around the world. He mentored numerous new faculty and partnered with them on research projects, helping to secure hard-to-get grant funding. He engaged large numbers of undergraduates in research and encouraged them to continue with graduate studies. Many of these undergrads published results in refereed journals and made presentations at professional meetings. Nothing made him prouder than seeing his students succeed, and in his work, his students—not his stellar reputation—were by far his top priority.

In 2004, White began a joint research appointment with Pacific Northwest National Laboratories that led to the establishment of the Department of Energy's Institute for Interfacial Catalysis at PNNL, and in February, 2005, he was named its first Director, a post he held until his death.

For those who worked closely with Professor White, this loss is highly personal. He was a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a model for righteous living, and a loving husband, father, and granddad. He treated those he met with respect and generosity, and his passing leaves a mighty gap in not just the academic and scientific community but also in the circles of faith in which he served and lived.

Professor White is survived by his beloved wife, Gwen; his dear son Mark and wife Melissa; his precious daughter RaeAnne, her husband Todd Landrum and their children, Melody and Carter; and his much-loved son Paul. His mother, Frances, and four siblings also survive him, and his memory is held close by the countless students and friends, all of whose lives were made more meaningful by his presence.