Dr. Gordon Parker Reflects on his Prodigious Career in Analytical Chemistry During an Exciting Time in History

"I graduated in '58 [during a] time when the United States was desperate to find science teachers. So I had several opportunities for employment," shared Gordon Parker, the now retired, veteran chemist. "And so it changed, I think—the whole atmosphere of the country - as far as awareness and appreciation of science goes." With a bachelor of science in chemistry concentrating in physics and mathematics from the University of Michigan, Gordon started teaching high school science in the areas of chemistry, physics, natural sciences and geology, to name a few.

He soon realized that basic science instruction would not satisfy his interests, and Gordon returned to school to pursue a graduate degree. At Wayne State University, an institution renowned for its strong chemistry program, Gordon conducted research alongside internationally recognized scientists. He also gained a reputation of his own which, paired with a Ph.D., later helped him land a teaching position at the University of Toledo.

With added funds allotted to science (a sure sign of the times), research departments at the University of Toledo thrived. Dr. Parker would ultimately enjoy a prosperous research and teaching tenure there spanning over three decades. During this time, he published numerous articles and reports, including his book, "Analytical Chemistry of Molybdenum," in 1983. Through his collaborative efforts, Dr. Parker gained both national and international acclaim for his work with molybdenum, a silvery metallic chemical element having the sixth-highest melting point of any element and often used in steel alloys. By now, the attention and credit being given to the field of science had spread from space technology to all research areas and Dr. Parker considered his time at the University of Toledo to be the highlight of his career.

Dr. Parker's last active teaching position was as a lecturer at the University of Michigan at Dearborn. Remembered Gordon, "[I] handled the courses for non-science majors. These [were] people who, in order to get a distribution requirement for a liberal arts degree, had to take two science courses. They hated it but we tried to make it fun for them." Determined to help his students graduate with an appreciation for science, he worked to incorporate into his curricula interactive and interesting material. "One has to start out [with] something that they know, something that they can relate to," he said. "You build on that. You throw in a new item, you throw in a little bit of some additional information, you watch them to see that they're nodding their heads or shaking their heads, and hopefully...by the end, they have a better understanding of the topics."

Reflecting on a career that lasted well over 45 years, Dr. Parker noted that working with students and providing them with direction ultimately became the most rewarding aspect of his job. He also made significant advances in analytical chemistry, providing emerging researchers with a strong base of information on molybdenum, from which to move forward. Although Dr. Parker was not a part of the Space Race, he nonetheless played an integral role in shaping the United States from 1958 to 2002 and - through his teaching - for generations to come.