Donald McClure, specialist in electronic spectroscopy, dies at 97

Donald McClure, the Russell Wellman Moore Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, at Princeton University, died Nov. 17 in Plainsboro, New Jersey. He was 97.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on March 10 in the University Chapel.

McClure joined Princeton’s faculty in 1967 and transferred to emeritus status in 1991.

McClure focused on physical inorganic chemistry. He made “pioneering contributions to the fields of molecular spectroscopy and condensed-matter physics,” said Tom Muir, the Van Zandt Williams Jr. Class of 1965 Professor of Chemistry and chair of the department.

“He remained an active member of our community well past his retirement — regularly attending seminars — and will be very much missed,” Muir said.

“Don McClure will long be remembered as a pioneer who changed the course of inorganic chemistry,” said Harry Gray, the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. “Most notably, his groundbreaking spectroscopic work led to widespread acceptance of the ligand field theory of inorganic electronic structure.” …

The full announcement continues on the Princeton University website:

https://www.princeton.edu/news/2017/11/28/donald-mcclure-specialist-electronic-spectroscopy-dies-97