Fred Basolo

Fred Basolo (1920-2007) was an American inorganic chemist born in Coello, Illinois, who spent his entire career at Northwestern University and became a leading figure in coordination chemistry. He earned his doctorate at the University of Illinois in 1943 under John C. Bailar Jr., coined the term the indenyl effect, and co-authored Mechanisms of Inorganic Reactions with Ralph Pearson, a book credited with shifting coordination chemistry from a largely descriptive field toward a more quantitative science grounded in ligand field theory and physical organic chemistry. He published more than 400 papers and mentored many doctoral students, including Harry B. Gray, and he served as president of the American Chemical Society in 1983. His honors included election to the National Academy of Sciences and the Priestley Medal in 2001.