Professor Arthur E. Martell died on October 15, 2003, just a few days short of his 87 th birthday. He was a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Head of the Department from 1966 to 1980. He was recruited by Texas A&M University for the express purpose of transforming the Chemistry Department from its then modest size and reputation, to one of national prominence. At that time, Texas A&M was experiencing rapid growth, having admitted women and embracing the notion of becoming a Texas flagship University. Professor Martell accepted this challenge whole-heartedly. He scoured the country in search of the best talent and pursued them relentlessly. No sooner had he made an appointment, then he was back in the Dean's office requesting funds for yet another star appointment. At the end of his tenure as Head, the Department had expanded from a faculty numbering in the low twenties, to fifty-five tenured track positions. Graduate student enrollment quadrupled, and the number of undergraduate chemistry majors tripled. The physical facilities more than doubled. Dr. Martell did all of this without fanfare, public relations or self aggrandizement. He had transformed the Department from its modest status to one of world class standing, but at great sacrifice to himself.
During all this time, despite the heavy burden of leadership, Dr. Martell carried on a highly productive research program. He pioneered the chemistry of metal chelate compounds and published a book on the subject with Nobel Laureate, Melvin Calvin. His books on Critical Stability Constants (six volumes) with R.M. Smith, The Determination and Use of Stability Constants with R.J. Motekaitis, and Metal Complexes in Aqueous Solution with R.D. Hancock are classics, used by hundreds of chemists and biologists in their ongoing research. Dr. Martell's research group designed new ligands for complexation of iron and aluminum that were used to treat patients who suffered from iron or aluminum overload. Macrocyclics and Cryptates were designed to complex radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for imaging internal organs and tumors. The importance of his research is evidenced by his winning the Southwest Regional Award of the American Chemical Society, the ACS Award for Distinguished Service to Inorganic Chemistry, the Patterson-Crane Award, election as an honorary lifetime fellow of the New York Academy of Science, and honorary membership in the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.
Dr. Martell was not a narrowly focused individual. He was an avid gardener, he loved hiking, skiing, fishing, and even climbed the Matterhorn. He is survived by six children from his first marriage and two from his marriage to Mary. We shall sorely miss this colleague, leader, builder and friend. His legacy is enduring.