James Maxime DuPont (Edinburgh, Scotland, April 30, 1912 — Watchung, New Jersey, United States, July 1, 1991) was an American meteorite collector.
James Maxime DuPont | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 1912 |
| Died | July 1, 1997 (aged 85) Watchung, New Jersey, U.S. |
His father was Jean Rene Claudius Dupont, an analytical chemist.[1] At the time of his death, he was known for having the largest private collection of meteorites in the world, and after his death they were donated to the Planetary Studies Foundation, where they were known as the "James M. DuPont Meteorite Collection". The impressive collection was gathered over thirty years while containing 1,719 individual meteorites, with a total mass over 500 kilograms.[2] These included several which were somewhat controversial and unrecognized, along with a few others that represented new finds awaiting classification. The Planetary Studies Foundation then donated them to the Field Museum of Natural History, the combined collection having had more than 1,700 meteors and an estimated value of $3 million, creating the world's largest non government meteorite collection.[3] [4]
As a resident of Watchung, New Jersey, DuPont founded an industrial thermoplastics company.[5]
References edit
- ^ Olsen, E. J. (1992). "Memorial for James Maxime Du Pont (1912 - 1991)". Meteoritics. 27 (1): 105. Bibcode:1992Metic..27..105O. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1992.tb01065.x.
- ^ Sipiera, P. P.; Butler, K. R.; Schwade, J. R. (1995). "The James M. Du Pont Collection of Meteorites: 1950s to 1991". Meteoritics. 30 (5): 579. Bibcode:1995Metic..30R.579S.
- ^ "Gift to Chicago's Field Museum establishes world's largest non government meteorite collection". Retrieved 2016-12-12.
- ^ "Planetary Studies Foundation milestones". Retrieved 2016-12-12.
- ^ "James M. DuPont, Manufacturer, 79". The New York Times. July 4, 1991. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
External links edit
- Planetary Studies Foundation
- The Robert A. Pritzker Center for Meteoritics and Polar Studies The Field Museum
- Miller Meteor at Meteorite-times
- Collescipoli Meteor at Meteorite-times