Edward O. Sherman received his B.S. degree from Providence College in 1958 and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in analytical chemistry with Herb Laitinen in 1963. He did postdoctoral research with Sir Graham Hills at the University of Southhampton in England, working on transport properties of molten salts under high pressure. From 1964 to 1972 he was a research chemist with the Shell Development Company in Emeryville, California. While with Shell he used electroanalytical techniques to analyze transition metal components of importance in homogeneous catalysis reactions and to characterize heterocyclic organic compounds having biological activity.
When Shell development shut down the research facility at Emeryville, Ed decided to explore an academic career and took a position at the University of Saskatchewan for one year. From there he moved to a limited term appointment at the University of Western Ontario, and in 1977 accepted a tenure track appointment at Eastern Illinois University. He remained there until his untimely death from heart failure on May 17, 1986 at the age of 49.
Ed married Paula Geier (a nurse and gourmet cook) of Basel, Switzerland. They had two children, Marcus (a biology teacher in Stockton, California) and Michelle (a veterinarian in Oak Park, Illinois).
Those who knew Ed describe him as a larger-than-life figure. When taught to play cricket in England he hit the ball so hard the first time that it was never found again. While in California he could be found competing in weekend sailboat races when he was not playing serious bridge. Students at Eastern Illinois University loved his classes and not infrequently spontaneous letters of praise appeared in the local newspaper. One said, “When he talks on a subject his whole face lights up with interest. His whole being is involved in what he’s doing.” In one student thesis, the acknowledgment reads, “Thank you Dr. Sherman for making chemistry more than a science. I will always remember you with a smile on my face, a warm feeling in my heart, and a passion in my blood to discover the unknown.”
This biography, along with the photograph below, were kindly provided by Dr. Richard Keiter. Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Eastern Illinois University: