**Early Life and Education:**
– Born in a tavern in North Stratford, Connecticut in August 1779
– Educated at Yale, receiving B.A. in 1796 and M.A. in 1799
– Studied law with Simeon Baldwin and became a tutor at Yale
– Traveled to University of Edinburgh for further study in 1805
**Career Achievements:**
– Conducted first published scientific account of an American meteorite in 1807
– Discovered constituent elements of minerals and fossil fishes in the U.S.
– Identified tungsten, tellurium, topaz, and fluorite in rocks
– Played a major role in the discovery of prismatic barite ore of tungsten
– Supported coeducation in the Ivy League and taught at the medical school
**1807 Meteorite Discovery:**
– Witnessed a meteorite fall near Weston, Connecticut in 1807
– Conducted chemical analysis of the meteorite
– Discovered stone fragments in at least 6 places
– Acquired the largest stone fragment for Yale’s Peabody Museum collection
– Collaborated with Colonel George Gibbs in acquiring the meteorite
**Personal Life and Legacy:**
– Married Harriet Trumbull in 1809 and had four children
– Second marriage to Sarah Isabella (McClellan) Webb in 1851
– Advocated against slavery and supported colonization of free African Americans in Liberia
– Member of various prestigious societies and founded the American Journal of Science
– Honored with the naming of Silliman College at Yale, Sillimanite mineral, Mount Silliman, and Silliman Pass
**Additional Resources and References:**
– Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences
– Petroleum
– Various biographies and works related to Benjamin Silliman
– External links for further exploration
Benjamin Silliman (August 8, 1779 – November 24, 1864) was an American chemist and science educator. He was one of the first American professors of science, at Yale College, the first person to use the process of fractional distillation in America. He was a founder of the American Journal of Science, the oldest continuously published scientific journal in the United States.
Benjamin Silliman | |
|---|---|
 Silliman around 1850 | |
| Born | August 8, 1779 Trumbull, Connecticut, United States |
| Died | November 24, 1864 (aged 85) New Haven, Connecticut, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Yale University University of Edinburgh |
| Known for | Distillation of petroleum |
| Awards | National Academy of Sciences |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | chemist |
| Institutions | Yale University |
| Doctoral students | James Dwight Dana |
| Signature | |
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