About Paul Hugh Emmett
Paul Hugh Emmett (September 22, 1900 – April 22, 1985) was an American chemist best known for his pioneering work in the field of catalysis and for his work on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He spearheaded the research to separate isotopes of uranium and to develop a corrosive uranium gas. Emmett also made significant contributions to BET Theory which explains the relationship between surface area and gas adsorption. He served on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University for 23 years throughout his scientific career. == Early life == Paul Hugh Emmett was born on September 22, 1900, in Portland, Oregon to John Hugh Emmett (1864–1943) and Lavina Hutchins (1870–1941). Emmett's father was a railroad engineer. For a year in his early childhood, Emmett's family lived in a rail car while his mother worked as a cook for the rail company. Emmett attended Washington High School where he excelled in language and mathematics classes. Among his acquaintances in high school was Linus Pauling, future two-time Nobel Prize winner. Emmett had a fear of public speaking, so he enrolled in the debate team in both high school and college to gain proficiency. His first high school science classes, physics and chemistry, were taken during his senior year of high school.
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