Jon T. Hougen
- October 23, 1936
- January 28, 2019
- 82 years
About Jon T. Hougen
Jon T. Hougen, 82, American chemist.
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Full Biography
|Jon Torger Hougen (23 October 1936 in Sheboygan – 28 January 2019 in Taipei) was an American spectroscopist.
Education and career
Hougen finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin in 1956. He obtained his master's and doctoral degrees at Harvard University. He worked at Harvard under the research direction of William Moffitt and William Klemperer. He started his career in 1960 as a postdoctorate fellow at the National Research Council of Canada in the molecular spectroscopy group of Gerhard Herzberg. He joined the staff at NRC in 1962 and supervised postdoctorate fellows J.K.G.Watson and Philip Bunker. In 1967 he joined the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST). He started there as a member of D.R. Lide's microwave and infrared group. Later, he was the chief of the molecular spectroscopy section. In 1984, he was named a Senior Research Fellow of NIST. For a year, he served as acting chief of the molecular physics division. After retiring in 2001, he continued his research as a NIST Scientist Emeritus.
Research
His research focused on quantum mechanical and group theoretical calculations of quantities related to molecular spectroscopy.
Three of his most-cited publications are:
- Hougen, Jon T. (15 January 1962). "Rotational Energy Levels of a Linear Triatomic Molecule in a Π Electronic State". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 36 (2): 519–534. Bibcode:1962JChPh..36..519H. doi:10.1063/1.1732544.
- Hougen, J.T.; Bunker, P.R.; Johns, J.W.C. (April 1970). "The vibration-rotation problem in triatomic molecules allowing for a large-amplitude bending vibration". Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy. 34 (1): 136–172. Bibcode:1970JMoSp..34..136H. doi:10.1016/0022-2852(70)90080-9. This paper introduced a Hamiltonian that has come to be called the Hougen-Bunker-Johns (HBJ) Hamiltonian.
- Hougen, Jon T. (October 1962). "Classification of Rotational Energy Levels for Symmetric‐Top Molecules". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 37 (7): 1433–1441. Bibcode:1962JChPh..37.1433H. doi:10.1063/1.1733301.
Hobbies
He spoke several languages: French, French-Canadian, German, Czech, Japanese, and Mandarin in addition to English.
Awards and honors
Hougen was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1979. In addition, Hougen received the following awards:
- Coblentz Award (1968)
- NBS Silver Medal (1974)
- NBS Gold Medal (1980)
- Ellis R. Lippincott Award (1984)
- Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy (1984)
- Marcus Marci Award from the Czech Spectroscopy Society (1990)
The Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy dedicated two special issues to him in honor of his 68th and 80th birthday.
Two awards were created in his memory: the Jon Hougen Travel Award for the 26th Colloquium on High-Resolution Molecular Spectroscopy (2019) and the Jon Hougen Memorial Award, awarded annually at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy (2020-present).
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_T._Hougen
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Jon T. Hougen's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Jon Torger Hougen born?
- A.Harvard
- B.Wisconsin
- C.Sheboygancorrect
- D.Taipei
Jon Torger Hougen was born on 23 October 1936 in Sheboygan.
Source: biography header
2.When did Jon Torger Hougen pass away?
- A.28 January 2019correct
- B.20 October 2001
- C.15 January 1962
- D.23 October 1936
Jon Torger Hougen died on 28 January 2019.
Source: biography header
3.Where did Jon Torger Hougen earn his undergraduate degree in 1956?
- A.National Research Council of Canada
- B.Harvard University
- C.University of Wisconsincorrect
- D.National Institute of Standards and Technology
Jon Torger Hougen finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin in 1956.
Source: education and career section
4.Under whose research direction did Jon Torger Hougen work while at Harvard?
- A.Earle K. Plyler and Marcus Marci
- B.William Moffitt and William Klemperercorrect
- C.J.K.G. Watson and Philip Bunker
- D.Gerhard Herzberg and D.R. Lide
Jon Torger Hougen worked at Harvard under the research direction of William Moffitt and William Klemperer.
Source: education and career section
5.At which institution did Jon Torger Hougen start his career as a postdoctorate fellow in 1960?
- A.National Research Council of Canadacorrect
- B.Czech Spectroscopy Society
- C.National Bureau of Standards
- D.Harvard University
Jon Torger Hougen started his career in 1960 as a postdoctorate fellow at the National Research Council of Canada.
Source: education and career section
6.Which postdoctorate fellows did Jon Torger Hougen supervise at the National Research Council of Canada?
- A.William Moffitt and William Klemperer
- B.Gerhard Herzberg and D.R. Lide
- C.Earle K. Plyler and Marcus Marci
- D.J.K.G. Watson and Philip Bunkercorrect
Jon Torger Hougen supervised postdoctorate fellows J.K.G. Watson and Philip Bunker while at the NRC.
Source: education and career section
7.When did Jon Torger Hougen join the National Bureau of Standards?
- A.1967correct
- B.1984
- C.1962
- D.1980
In 1967 Jon Torger Hougen joined the National Bureau of Standards.
Source: education and career section
8.What title was Jon Torger Hougen given in 1984 at NIST?
- A.Chief of the molecular physics division
- B.Acting chief of the molecular spectroscopy section
- C.Senior Research Fellowcorrect
- D.Scientist Emeritus
In 1984, Jon Torger Hougen was named a Senior Research Fellow of NIST.
Source: education and career section
9.What is the name of the Hamiltonian introduced in the 1970 paper co-authored by Jon Torger Hougen?
- A.The Hougen-Bunker-Johns (HBJ) Hamiltoniancorrect
- B.The Herzberg-Lide Hamiltonian
- C.The Watson-Bunker Hamiltonian
- D.The Plyler-Marci Hamiltonian
The 1970 paper introduced a Hamiltonian that has come to be called the Hougen-Bunker-Johns (HBJ) Hamiltonian.
Source: research section
10.In what year was Jon Torger Hougen elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society?
- A.1984
- B.1974
- C.1979correct
- D.1968
Jon Torger Hougen was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1979.
Source: awards and honors section
11.Which award did Jon Torger Hougen receive in 1968?
- A.Coblentz Awardcorrect
- B.NBS Gold Medal
- C.Earle K. Plyler Prize
- D.Marcus Marci Award
Jon Torger Hougen received the Coblentz Award in 1968.
Source: awards and honors section
12.The Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy dedicated special issues to Jon Torger Hougen for which two birthdays?
- A.70th and 85th
- B.68th and 80thcorrect
- C.60th and 70th
- D.65th and 75th
The Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy dedicated two special issues to Jon Torger Hougen in honor of his 68th and 80th birthday.
Source: awards and honors section
13.What is the name of the award created in memory of Jon Torger Hougen that is awarded annually at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy?
- A.NBS Gold Medal Award
- B.Jon Hougen Travel Award
- C.Marcus Marci Spectroscopy Award
- D.Jon Hougen Memorial Awardcorrect
The Jon Hougen Memorial Award is awarded annually at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy.
Source: awards and honors section
14.In what year did Jon Torger Hougen retire from his position at NIST?
- A.2019
- B.1990
- C.2001correct
- D.1984
After retiring in 2001, Jon Torger Hougen continued his research as a NIST Scientist Emeritus.
Source: education and career section
15.Which award did Jon Torger Hougen receive from the Czech Spectroscopy Society?
- A.Ellis R. Lippincott Award
- B.Earle K. Plyler Prize
- C.Coblentz Award
- D.Marcus Marci Awardcorrect
Jon Torger Hougen received the Marcus Marci Award from the Czech Spectroscopy Society in 1990.
Source: awards and honors section
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