Ira Remsen (February 10, 1846 - March 4, 1927) was a chemist who, along with Constantin Fahlberg discovered the artificial sweetener saccharin. He was the second president of Johns Hopkins University. 19th century photograph This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Chemistry (in Greek: χημεία) is the science of matter and its interactions with energy and itself (see physics, biology). ... A sweetener is a food additive which adds the basic taste of sweetness to a food. ... The chemical structure of saccharin. ... The Johns Hopkins University is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland. ...

Remsen was born in New York City and earned an MD from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1867 to please his parents. He then travelled to Germany to study chemistry - his true passion. He earned a PhD from University Göttingen. In 1875, after researching pure chemistry at University of Tübingen, Remsen returned to the United States and became a professor at Williams College, where he wrote the popular "Theoretical Chemistry". His book and reputation brought him to the attention of Daniel Coit Gilman who invited him to become one of the original faculty of Johns Hopkins University. He accepted and founded the department of chemistry there, where he ran his own laboratory. In 1879 he founded the American Chemical Journal which he edited for 35 years. Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of American finance, politics, music, and culture. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (German: Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen) is a state-supported university located on the Neckar river, in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Williams College is a small, private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. ... Daniel Coit Gilman Daniel Coit Gilman (1831-1908) was an American educator. ... The Johns Hopkins University is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland. ...

In 1879 he made the greatest discovery of his career by accident. When he ate rolls at dinner after a long day in the lab researching coal tar derivatives, he noticed that the rolls tasted initially sweet but then bitter. Since his wife tasted nothing strange about the rolls, Remsen tasted his fingers and noticed that the bitter taste was probably from one the chemicals in his lab. The next day at his lab tasted the chemicals that he had been working with the previous day and discovered that it was the oxidation of o-toluenesulfonamide he had tasted the previous evening. He named the substance saccharin and he and his research partner Constantine Fahlberg published their finding in 1880. Later Remsen became angry after Fahlberg patented saccharin, claiming that he had discovered saccharin. Coal tar is the liquid by-product of the distillation of coal to make coke. ...

In 1901 Remsen was appointed the president of Johns Hopkins and he proceeded to found a School of Engineering and helped establish the school as a research university. He introduced many of the German laboratory techniques he had learned and wrote several important chemistry textbooks. In 1912 he stepped down as president and retired to Carmel, California. After his death the new chemistry building was named after him at Johns Hopkins. His ashes are located behind a plaque in Remsen Hall; he is the only person buried on campus. According to legend, undergraduates who rub the plaque the night before their chemistry exam will do well. Carmel-by-the-Sea is a city located in Monterey County, California. ...

See also

• Nitric acid acts upon copper

Nitric acid acts upon copper is a phrase used in an old chemistry textbook, and more commonly known, one that was read by Ira Remsen. ...

External links

• JHU Gazette Article
• A Nineteenth Century Encyclopedia Article
• An Essay on Ira Remsen