Chemists who have made important contributions to politics, although a rare breed, date from the very inception of our science. The very founder of modern chemistry, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, was involved in a number of governmental activities. Edvard Immanuel Hjelt (1855–1921), Professor of Chemistry at the University of Helsinki, who was Rector of the University and “performed greater services to the University than anyone since its founding,” was a member of this class of chemist–statesmen; and thus, he deserves greater recognition from his fellow chemists. An exceptionally gifted, dedicated, and multifaceted individual, Hjelt was not only a chemist, historian of chemistry, and textbook writer best remembered—when he is remembered at all—for his book on the history of organic chemistry, but he also played a prominent role in politics, held a post now corresponding to Prime Minister, and participated actively in the struggle for Finnish independence, following which he became Finnish Ambassador to Germany. Because we have discussed Hjelt’s personal life and career as a chemist and historian of chemistry in a previous issue of this journal (The Chemical Educator,, June 1, 1998), we limit ourselves here to considering his political contributions to national and international affairs.
Kauffman et al. (Thu,) studied this question.