Giving
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Gifts in Action: Meredith Mallory, AB '40 Sciences and Letters
A Formula for Excellence in Education
When Meredith Mallory left central Florida in 1936 to attend the University of Illinois, he was continuing a family tradition. His father and all his uncles had graduated from U of I. After receiving his AB in sciences and letters in 1940, he went to medical school-again, following in the footsteps of his father. Ten years later, after a commission in the Army Medical Corps where he monitored the safety of staff exposed to radiation from bomb tests in the Pacific, Dr. Mallory joined the family's oil and gas business as an independent gas producer.
Loyalty and tradition have played a prominent role in Mallory's life-and the U of I is fortunate to be one of the beneficiaries of his commitment to these values.
"I've always wanted to support work in the physical sciences, and the excellent reputation of my alma mater in the field of chemistry provided the right avenue for doing that," says Mallory. Through his gifts, the Murchison-Mallory Endowed Chair in Chemistry was created.
The endowment, named for Mallory and his late wife, Patricia Murchison, provides support and income to fund the research, teaching activities, and related academic expenses of an outstanding chemist. The holder of this chair is chosen based on scholarly and teaching credentials as well as his or her ability to convey the importance of rigor, discipline, and intellectual integrity in the advancement of science. This focus benefits all students of chemistry-including those in engineering, medicine, and other disciplines.
"My goal is to provide educational benefits to the students, the college, and ultimately to society," says Mallory, currently the president of Mallory Investments in San Antonio, Texas. Through his generosity, that's just what the Murchison-Mallory Endowed Chair of Chemistry has provided for U of I students since 1997.
Impacting Other's Lives
Students are motivated by innovative teaching-and in the Department of Chemistry innovative teaching is supported by the Murchison-Mallory Endowed Chair. Dr. Stanley Smith, who has held the chair since its inception in 1997, is both an outstanding chemist and an award-winning educator.
A faculty member since 1960, Smith has been studying technology in the teaching of chemistry for more than 30 years. From his early studies on computer-based teaching to his development of videodisc instructional programs and digital video tutorials, Smith is known for his innovative work. His instructional programs allow students to interact with video images of experiments that are too costly, hazardous, or expensive for traditional laboratory instruction. Tutorials that serve as electronic homework are also being developed, along with networked management systems to track student progress and provide online gradebooks.
In addition to developing new ways to teach chemistry, Smith conducts research on organic reactions, specifically the effect of ion pairing on reactivity. He has developed a scanning, infrared, stopped-flow spectrometer that makes it possible to study organic reaction mechanisms.
U of I students have benefited from Smith's commitment to both chemistry and chemical education. The Murchison-Mallory Endowed Chair ensures that future chemistry students will continue to be taught and motivated by outstanding chemists.