Herrick L. Johnston, Chemistry

Herrick L. Johnston (1898-1965) was a professor at Ohio State from 1929 to 1954. While at the university, Johnston created the War Research Building, where his cryogenics lab was located. His focus was on liquid hydrogen and its use as a fuel. During WWII, Johnston worked with the U.S. government on the Manhattan Project. His expertise on liquid hydrogen helped the U.S. to build the first hydrogen bomb.

In 1970, the Ohio State Board of Trustees officially named the War Research Building the Herrick L. Johnston Laboratory in honor of Johnston’s achievements. Both Johnston’s partner while he was at Berkeley and one of his PhD candidates won the Nobel Prize for chemistry. Both men credited Johnston’s contribution to their research.