Dr Melvyn Mosher

Dr. Melvyn (Mel) Mosher was born in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1940, to Kenneth and Ramona. His father, a noted marine biologist and two of his uncles, William and Harry and Aunt Carol Mosher were noted chemists and all were very active in the American Chemical Society. His family, when he was 9, moved to Seattle, Wash. Mel holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Washington (Seattle) and both a Master of Science degree in Organic Chemistry and a PhD degree in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Idaho. He did a two year post-doctoral appointment at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In 1969, he accepted a teaching position at Marshall University (Huntington, W.Va.) where he taught and did chemical research with both masters level and undergraduate students. He and his students were constant fixtures at the West Virginia Academy of Science Meeting during his stay at Marshall. He directed and was instrumental in furthering the Marshall Student Affiliates Chapter of the ACS and the group won Outstanding Chapter recognition from the ACS for five years in a row during his stay at Marshall. In 1974, he and his family (wife, Donna and three sons, Michael, Craig and Thomas) moved to Missouri Southern in Joplin, when he took a half time appointment as assistant director of the MSSC Regional Crime Laboratory and a half time appointment as assistant professor of Chemistry. In 1998, he moved from his two half time positions, to full time teaching in the Physical Science department as professor of chemistry. Throughout his teaching career he has been very active in outreach programs to local schools on the importance of science and with first Marshall's ACS Student Affiliates and now with Missouri Southern's ACS Student Affiliates they have presented "Chemical Magic" shows to numerous local schools always stressing the importance of science and especially chemistry in our everyday lives. Also, since starting his teaching career, he has been active in directing undergraduate research in organic chemistry. His Southern undergraduate students have published nine papers in refereed journals (including the Transactions of the MAS) and his students have given over 70 presentations at National and Regional Scientific Meetings. After coming to Southern he continued his involvement with the American Chemical Society. During his five years in West Virginia, he held every elected position in the Central Ohio Valley Section. He has been local section Chair for the Mo-Kan-Ok local section several times and on a number of the Sections Committees. His involvement extended beyond the local section level and he was appointed by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to several committees involving membership in the society. He was instrumental in bringing the Midwest Regional Meeting of the ACS to Joplin in 1995, (where he served as technical chair) and 2005 (when he was general chair). Each of these three day meetings brought over 500 chemists from around the world to Joplin. Since coming to Southern he has been active in the Missouri Academy of Science and has been the senior division chemistry chair for about 25 years of the last 35 years. Since 1974, he was highly involved in planning the Annual MAS Meetings that were held at Southern. He has also held several other offices in the academy including president of the academy during the 2007-2008 year. One of the proudest moments was when he was awarded Fellow of the Missouri Academy of Science in 2006. When not in the classroom or the research laboratory with his students his hobbies were varied. He played and coached at the competition level and officiated soccer at the high school level. He has compiled an extensive collection and record of Native American Rock Art Sites and has presented several talks on petroglyphs and pictographs. He also collects Eskimo (Inuit) soapstone carvings and the collection has been shown at several exhibits at Missouri Southern. Melvyn is survived by his wife, Donna P. (Baerg) Mosher, who he married on June 16, 1963, in Seattle, Wash. Additional survivors include three sons, Michael Mosher and wife, Kristie, of Kearney, Neb., Craig Mosher and wife, Theresa, of Independence, Mo., and Thomas Mosher and wife, Stacey, of Osage Beach, Mo.; and five grandchildren. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Corley Auditorium at Webster Hall, Missouri Southern State University. Mark Stattler, officiating. Memorial contributions can be made to the MSSU Foundation for a Scholarship in Chemistry in his honor. Online condolences may be made at masonwoodard.com