Elevating the stature

Longtime chemistry department staff member Thomas N. Gallaher (’72) was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the College of Science and Mathematics’ commencement ceremony in May.

Gallaher graduated with honors from Madison College and served 36 years in various positions within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, retiring in 2008.

JMU chemistry professor Dr. Thomas DeVore, who nominated Gallaher for the honor, wrote that he “was a leader in raising the stature of the chemistry department at Madison to the point where it is now recognized as one of the best undergraduate chemistry departments in the country.”

His knowledge of chemical instrumentation and design made him an invaluable resource, DeVore said. He trained every undergraduate chemistry student at JMU in the use of lab equipment, and actively participated in the design and testing of many exercises for the instrumental and physical chemistry laboratories, he said. The stainless-steel infrared spectroscopy cell he designed is still used in the physical chemistry laboratories at JMU.

Additionally, Gallaher developed a methodology to perform gas-phase nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a technique for analyzing the resonance frequencies of nuclei in gaseous samples. And he played a leading role in obtaining funding to establish JMU’s multimillion-dollar Shenandoah Valley Regional NMR Facility, which has been used by faculty and students at other Virginia universities and attracted several current faculty members to JMU.

Despite only holding a bachelor’s degree, Gallaher co-authored, with JMU professors, more than 40 papers for publication in scholarly journals and contributed to the development of the forensic chemistry course at JMU.

Local companies also leaned on his expertise. He was one of three members of a consulting group who performed air-quality monitoring prior to the construction of the MillerCoors Brewery in Elkton, Virginia.

Gallaher coordinated the chemistry department’s move from Burruss Hall to Miller Hall in the mid-1970s and later helped oversee the construction of the Physics/Chemistry building on East Campus.

After retiring, Gallaher renewed his interest in archery and competed in local, state and national tournaments, winning four state events.

“Thomas N. Gallaher did not limit his activities at JMU to the terms of his contract,” DeVore said. “He went far beyond his minimum requirements, and JMU is a better place because he cared.”