Archer Martin
A practical-minded chemist who invented partition chromatography, a simple yet revolutionary method for separating the components of mixtures.
1910–2002 (age 92)·British chemist·Birthday: March 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Archer Martin was a problem-solver, not a theoretician. His great breakthrough, partition chromatography, was born not in a flash of abstract inspiration but from the stubborn challenge of separating amino acids. Working with Richard Synge, he devised an elegantly simple technique using a strip of filter paper and two solvents, allowing complex mixtures to separate as they traveled. This humble apparatus, almost a school science experiment, revolutionized analytical chemistry. It gave biologists and chemists a powerful new tool to study everything from proteins to plant pigments, directly enabling later leaps like the sequencing of insulin. Martin, a quiet and self-effacing man, continued to innovate, developing gas-liquid chromatography, but it was that first paper-based system that made the invisible world of molecules visibly understandable.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Archer was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Archer Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Archer's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 80
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2002Died at 92
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Co-invented partition chromatography with Richard Synge, for which they shared the 1952 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
- The invention provided the key technique used by Frederick Sanger to determine the structure of insulin.
- Later made significant contributions to the development of gas-liquid chromatography.
- His work fundamentally transformed analytical chemistry and biochemistry, making the separation of complex mixtures routine.
Did You Know?
He initially studied biochemistry at Cambridge but failed to complete his degree due to a nervous breakdown.
He worked for the Wool Industries Research Association in Leeds when he made his Nobel-winning discovery.
He was known for his broad range of interests, including sailing and a deep knowledge of wine.
He held over 30 patents for various chemical apparatus and processes.
“The best research is often done by people who are not too clever; clever people are always looking for complicated solutions.”
