William Lipscomb Home Page

1. Nobel Congratulatory Letters, 1976-1977

From a scrapbook assembled by Bill's first wife, Marydell Lipscomb in 1976-1977.  These congratulatory letters are presented with permission of William Lipscomb.

1. Yuan Yuan Chiu  Only one paper was interesting.
2. Robert Collin.  Sledge hammer late at night.
   
3. Brian Dickens.  After-hours musical group meets Bill's son.
4. Brian Edwards.  A poem with apologies to Robert Service.
5. Russell Grimes.  Pentaborane explosion.
6. Truman Jordan.  From the fall of man to salvation.  Bill's prodigious ability.
   
7. Edward Kostansek.  Sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle.
8. E. Lippert.  Liquid nitrogen on the bus.
9. Lawrence Lohr.  Where is the inorganic Woodward?
   
10. Lillian MacVey.  Young Billy swinging from the chandelier.
11. Sheldon Shore.  With the possible exception of myself.
12. Andrew Szent-Gyorgyi.  50,000 cans of tennis balls.
    
13. Donald Voet.  The great air rifle caper.
14. Frederick Wang.  Convincing Bill to knock on the darkroom door.
15. Steve Warren.  Surprise on the plane.
16. Peter J. Wheatley.  All-purpose congratulatory letter.

2. 80th Birthday Letters, 2000

From a Festscrift (homemade party book) presented to Bill on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2000.  These congratulatory letters are presented with permission of William Lipscomb.

1. Jerome Karle and Isabella Karle.  Subsequent Nobel Prize winners travel to Sweden in 1951.
   
2. Joseph Potenza.  Scooped (sort of), "I predicted that,"  fire and explosions.
   
3. Douglas Rees.  Receipt in Bill's lab of the Nobel Prize announcement.
   
4. Thomas Steitz.  Bill matches Tom with his future wife.  Written before Steitz's Nobel Prize.
   
5. Steve Warren.  Bill the enthusiastic researcher at age 80.
   
6. Edward Wong.  Boron hydride explosion ignited by Tesla coil.  Bill directs thesis progress.