Nobel Laureate, 1947 STS alum and first-place winner Martin Karplus dies at 94 - Society for Science Skip to content

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Nobel Laureate, 1947 STS alum and first-place winner Martin Karplus dies at 94

Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus speaks with a fellow Society for Science alum at an alumni event hosted by the Broad Institute. Society for Science

Martin Karplus, a pioneering theoretical chemist, Nobel laureate and alumnus of the 1947 Science Talent Search passed away on December 28, 2024, at his home in Cambridge, Mass., at the age of 94.

Born on March 15, 1930, in Vienna, Austria, Karplus and his family fled to the United States in 1938 to escape Nazi-occupied Austria. Nine years later, in 1947, Karplus competed in the Science Talent Search.

In his autobiographical essay, “Spinach on the Ceiling: A Theoretical Chemist’s Return to Biology,” Karplus shared that his interest in science began when his brother Bob was given a chemistry set and, while Karplus had asked for a chemistry set of us own, his parents gave him a microscope instead. “I had found an exciting new world and looked through my microscope whenever I was free,” Karplus said.

Karplus received support from his mother, father, elementary school and junior high school, when it came to his interest in science. When he entered Newton High School in 1944, Karplus did not have the same supportive environment. Karplus noted that his teachers didn’t think he would be able to measure up to his brother, who had done “exceedingly well” in high school.

Karplus wrote, “When my brother suggested I compete in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, the chemistry teacher, who was in charge of organizing such applications, told me that it was a waste of time for me to enter and that it was really too bad that Bob had not tried instead. However, I talked to the high school principal, and he gave me permission to go ahead with the application. I managed to obtain all the necessary papers without encouragement from anyone in the school.”

Karplus was named a top 40 Science Talent Search finalist and was invited to participate in the finals week competition in Washington, DC. Karplus’s research project focused on the lives of alcids, which are seabirds such as puffins. Karplus was chosen as one of two top winners – at the time, there was one male winner and one female winner. “Winning the Westinghouse Talent Search,” Karplus wrote, “made up for the discouraging interactions with some of my high school teachers.”

Karplus went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and then completed his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology under the mentorship of Linus Pauling. In his essay, Karplus noted he chose to attend Caltech at the recommendation of J.R. Oppenheimer, who he met while visiting his brother Bob, who was working with Oppenheimer at the Institute of Advanced Studies.

Throughout his distinguished career, Karplus held positions at University of Illinois, Columbia University, Harvard University, Université of Paris and Université de Strasbourg, which is where he did his Nobel Prize-winning work “for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems.”

“The early recognition of his immense talent at the Westinghouse Science Talent Search certainly boosted Dr. Karplus’s confidence,” commented Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of Science for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. “I had the wonderful opportunity to meet him in 2016, and he shared the extraordinary impact the Science Talent Search (STS) had on the trajectory of his life. Dr. Karplus never forgot his STS experience and remained a steadfast advocate for supporting young scientists, especially those facing skepticism or barriers.”

That experience likely impacted Karplus’s remarks during the Society’s STS Alumni Conference in 2016, where he said, “Having faith in yourself is very important, faith in spite of discouragement.”

Karplus is survived by his wife, Marci, three children, and seven grandchildren. His legacy lives on not only in his scientific contributions but also in the countless young scientists he inspired to pursue their passion for discovery.

 


Celebrating Martin Karplus: Winning the Science Talent Search

Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus with Science Talent Search Top Girl Winner Vera Dyson-Hudson (Demerec) after winning the 1947 STS Society for Science
Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus and the other top winners of the 1947 Science Talent Search Society for Science

Celebrating Martin Karplus: snapshots of his inspiring involvement in Society for Science alumni events.

Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus participated in a panel discussion moderated by Joe Palca during the Society’s Science Talent Search Alumni Conference, held in March 2016. Karplus was joined by fellow alumni – and Nobel laureates – Frank Wilczek (STS 1967) and Walter Gilbert (STS 1949). Society for Science
Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus and Frank Wilczek (STS 1967) laughing during their panel discussion. Society for Science
Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus participates in a Q&A during the Society’s alumni event at the Broad Institute. Society for Science
Nobel Laureate and 1947 STS Alum and First Place Winner Martin Karplus
Karplus and Nobel laureate Walter Gilbert (STS 1949) chat in the audience at a Society for Science alumni event.

 

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