Julius Nieuwland
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Reverend Julius Arthur Nieuwland, CSC, Ph.D., (February 14, 1878–June 11, 1936) was a Belgian-born Holy Cross priest and professor of chemistry and botany at the University of Notre Dame. He is known for his contributions to acetylene research and its use as the basis for one type of synthetic rubber, which eventually led to the invention of Neoprene by DuPont.
Father Nieuwland's parents immigrated from Hansbeke, Belgium in 1880 to South Bend, Indiana. As a young man, Nieuwland enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, where he studied Latin and Greek and received his undergraduate degree in 1899. He soon after began studies for the priesthood. Ordained in 1903, Nieuwland attended graduate school at The Catholic University of America, where he studied botany and chemistry. During his doctoral studies into the chemistry of acetylene, he discovered the chemical compound lewisite, but abandoned further research due to its usefulness as a poison.
After receiving his Ph.D. in 1904, he returned to Notre Dame as professor of botany (until 1918), then professor of organic chemistry (until 1936). In 1920, Nieuwland successfully polymerized acetylene into divinylacetylene. Elmer Bolton, the Director of Research at DuPont, used this basic research during the development of neoprene.
Albert Bassermann portrayed Fr. Nieuwland in the film Knute Rockne, All American as the priest who tries to convince Knute Rockne to be a chemist rather than a football coach. Knute Rockne graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in Pharmacy in 1914 and became a Chemistry instructor at Notre Dame, while also coaching various sports on campus, from 1915-1922.[1]
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