Harold C. Helgeson

Who was Harold C. Helgeson?

Harold C. Helgeson was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He was widely regarded as the preeiminent practitioner of theoretical geochemistry for more than 40 years, a career he embraced after a colorful set of experiences in the military and the mining industry. He was widely known to the geochemical community for his innovation, rigor, farsightedness, and tenacity in the application of thermodynamics and kinetics to the study of geochemical processes. He was known to his friends and close colleagues for his great generosity, honesty, fierce loyalty, diverse opinions, and unconventional sense of humor. He received the most prestigious international awards in geochemistry in honor of his research contributions, including the Goldschmidt Medal from the Geochemical Society and the Urey Medal from the European Association of Geochemistry. In addition to his published work, which was prodigious, he traveled and lectured extensively. His lectures were famous for their complex diagrams and clarity, and for the sheer force of their delivery. Professor Helgeson typically delivered his potent lectures after virtually no sleep because he so enjoyed extending his social and scientific interactions into the early morning hours. Few hosts could keep up with his schedule, but they never forgot the experience.