author
William McPherson
1864–1951
A longtime Ohio State chemist and educator, he helped shape science teaching in the early 20th century and also stepped in twice as acting president of the university. He is best remembered for clear, practical chemistry textbooks written for students.
1 Audiobook
An Elementary Study of Chemistry
by William McPherson, William Edwards Henderson
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1864, William McPherson built most of his career at The Ohio State University as a chemist, teacher, and academic leader. Sources from Ohio State and other library records identify him as a professor of chemistry who later became dean of the graduate school, and they note that he served twice as acting president of the university before his death in 1951.
McPherson also wrote and co-wrote widely used chemistry textbooks and laboratory manuals, including An Elementary Study of Chemistry and A Course in General Chemistry. Those books suggest the kind of writer he was: practical, organized, and focused on helping students learn by experiment as well as theory.
Although he is not chiefly remembered as a literary author, his work had a lasting place in American science education. Ohio State later named McPherson Chemical Laboratory in his honor, reflecting how closely his name became tied to the university's chemistry teaching and graduate education.